Invincible
by ValleyA
Summary: A rescue turns into a life-and-death struggle for Sheppard and his team.
1. Chapter 1

**"Invincible"**

_'Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.' Mahatma Gandhi_

**(Set after Season Five)**

**Chapter One**

"Hmm, smells like we came at the right time," Doctor Rodney McKay said in a singsong voice, anticipation lighting his expression. "I wonder if they are preparing that yummy Shiska stew they made the last time we were here."

Ronon Dex grunted and Teyla Emmagan gave him a sideways glance. Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard turned to Rodney as they followed the trail from the stargate into the outskirts of the area's main trading post and said, "You mean to tell us you didn't plan for us to arrive in time for their midday feast?"

Rodney blinked a few times, exuding feigned innocence. "I don't know what you mean. We left at my earliest opportunity. I do have many projects in play at any certain time."

John rolled his eyes and started to say something more when Merchant Mita came out a building with two other men. Mita smiled and turned to walk toward them. He was a short portly man with big ears, cropped blond hair and a savvy sense of trading.

"Teyla Emmagan, it is good to see you and your friends again."

He greeted Teyla in the traditional Athosian touching of foreheads, then backed away and shook hands with McKay and John. He just nodded to Ronon, who responded in kind. Teyla smiled as she looked at Mita. "We came to negotiate for a portion of next harvest's crop if you have the time."

Mita nodded and patted Teyla on the back. "We always have time for our favored trading partners. And your timing could not have been better. Come, we were just preparing to eat. It is Shiska stew today, Dr. McKay. As I recall, you were quite taken with the dish."

Rodney pumped a fist in the air and said, "Yes!" Then he glanced around at the others and said, "I mean, you're – you're right. It is a favorite of mine."

Teyla bowed her head slightly as she smiled in Rodney's direction, and replied, "We would be pleased to join you."

Mita sighed and glanced up at the sky before looking around at the new arrivals. "I apologize for our worsening weather. It appears we shall have some significant rainfall very soon."

Rodney let out a small sigh and John knew what he was thinking. It had rained on their last three missions and McKay was sure that, sooner or later, he'd die of weather-related pneumonia.

As they started to walk toward Mita's establishment, John glanced around the rustic spread of buildings that eventually led to the central hub of trading activity. He was getting a vague sense of unease, along with a strange ringing in his ears that fed on his nerves like a swarm of bees buzzing around a campground trash can. The ringing was definitely not something he'd noticed on their previous visits.

As Mita chatted with McKay and Ronon, Teyla drifted back to walk at his side. "Is there something wrong?" she asked quietly.

John frowned, then nodded slowly. "There's something... can't figure out exactly what it is just yet."

Teyla's response was a raised eyebrow and she adjusted her grip on her P90 as her gaze began to sweep the area for trouble. A couple of seconds later, there was a horrible scream, then shouts for help. It came from the west, still on the far outskirts of the trading post, in an area that was seldom used. They took off running, along with a few other people in the area.

"Is this what you were sensing?" Teyla asked as they ran.

John shook his head. "I don't know... maybe."

He shared a troubled glance with Teyla, then sped up to join Ronon who was striding ahead of the group. The clouds above began to release occasional raindrops. The screams took them to a secluded area John had already eyed as a prime rock climbing site. Its towering rock cliff reminded John of some of his favorite climbing locations at Yosemite National Park in California. The huge cliff face spread out and down to a point about twenty feet from the ground where the base of its expansive outcroppings withdrew deep into the hill itself, leaving the cliff perched out there above the ground as if it had been abandoned, a stony sentry alone, save for the people now gathered underneath it.

It was in that dark shadowy place below the cliff face where they found a hysterical woman being held back by two men. There were others gathered around a hole in the ground as a woman screamed, "Ashina! Ashina! Can you hear me! Stop! Let me go to her!"

John and Ronon stopped a short distance from the hole. Though he had a good idea, John asked the men nearest him, "What happened?"

A local trader named Straen, whom John remembered meeting on their last visit, stood from his kneeling position and shook his head, glancing first at them and then at Mita who had just arrived with Teyla. "Little Ashina, Methet's daughter, only four years old, fell through a hole in the ground."

John's gaze darted to Methet. He had met her several times, along with Ashina. The mother and daughter had often brought them homemade desserts when the team came to visit. Mita stepped forward, redirecting John's attention. "A hole? But how – " Mita started to ask.

Methet, struggling to be free, interrupted them. "Let me go to her! She's crying for me!"

A tall man dressed in the darker clothes of another province took Methet by the shoulders. "The ground keeps giving way. You cannot go closer without causing more rock to fall in on her. You must stop when we tell you and go no further. You can talk to her, calm her as much as you can while we figure out how to free her, but you must be very careful," he said, glancing at Mita.

"But, Linder, it's Ashina. She may be hurt. We have to get her out!" Methet's upswept blonde hair came loose from its bun as she begged the man.

When Linder didn't respond, the small child's cries for help made her mother even more distraught. She knelt down, putting out a hand in the direction of the hole and called out to her, "Mamma is right here, honey. Be as still as you can and we'll get you out."

John turned to Mita and the other men standing with him and said quickly, "We need equipment and more manpower."

Straen nodded. "I'll get what I can. Jensen and Linder, come with me."

Ronon followed as Straen started to jog away and said, "I'll go with you guys."

A few more people volunteered and the group took off at a brisk run. The earlier sprinkles turned into a light, but steady rainfall. As Methet was comforted by the women arriving from the trading post, John turned to McKay but Rodney already had his scanner out, in the process of getting readings.

John looked back at Mita. "Where does this hole go? A mine shaft or cave system?"

Mita shook his head. "No, we have nothing like that here. I've never seen this before."

John watched McKay for another moment, then asked, "Anything?"

"Working on it," Rodney said as if John was one of his bothersome minion scientists. All that was missing was the dismissive flip of an impatient hand. Before John could respond, the child's terrified screams for her mother gained strength.

"Hurry up, Rodney," John said, taking a step forward. "We need every bit of information you can find and we need it now."

"Not helping... " McKay answered without looking up, his fingers a blur over his scanner.

John sighed and nodded. "Okay, let's see what we can do. Teyla, contact Woolsey and tell them to ready a jumper with rescue equipment."

Teyla nodded and stepped away to contact Atlantis. McKay tore his gaze from his computer and glanced up at John. "The ground in this particular area is very unstable near the surface. It won't take much for it to collapse completely. In fact, it could collapse without any help at all."

Mita looked at him, then at John before he asked, "Then how can we get little Ashina out of the pit? We cannot just leave her there."

"Don't worry, we have no intention of leaving her," John said, patting Mita on the shoulder. He took a deep breath, then turned to McKay. "You don't see any other access points to get to her?"

McKay shrugged. "It's hard to tell. The bedrock is different here. I'm adjusting my scan to compensate."

"How long will that take?" Teyla asked as she glanced at Methet.

Rodney shook his head, not even wasting the time to answer.

Teyla took a deep breath and gestured toward the cliff. "Perhaps, we could rappeldown from the cliff using ropes?" she asked John.

John followed Teyla's gaze, then shook his head. "Already thought of that. With the way that cliff extends over the area, there's no straight angle that would go directly down into the hole. Besides, it would get pretty slippery if this rain continues to fall."

John looked around the area. "No, we need to rig something to lower a man down into the cavern and get the kid out."

Rodney sighed and gestured with the hand holding his computer. "Just – just hurry. Nothing fancy. Bare bones. Get down there, get the girl, and get back up. Fast. I don't trust this ground to hold up long enough to do much more than that."

John waved his fingers impatiently. "Okay, Rodney, I've got that – the place is dangerous and we're running out of time. Can you determine where the girl is?"

Rodney nodded. "Yeah, she's at the base of the cavern, about twenty feet down."

John whistled softly. "Twenty feet? How did she survive the fall?"

McKay's eyes bulged with John's question. "I don't know... maybe kids bounce better than adults?"

John glared at him, then said, "So, all we know right now is that she's alive without a clue to her injuries... damn it, McKay, we've got to do better than that."

"I _said_ I'm working on it," Rodney said a little more emphatically.

Ronon and the others returned with a thunderous rush, having loaded what they could in the back of a wagon. The wagon was drawn by a team of creatures that resembled a cross between a mule and a giraffe, beasts with long necks but stocky bodies making them good pack animals – John had jokingly called them miraffes on previous trips.

The others who had been standing around began to unload rope, several ladders, stacks of various sized wood beams, and other equipment. John looked at Rodney one last time and said quietly, "Just do what you can while we help the others."

McKay nodded as John started to walk away, still working on his computer, then he snapped his fingers to get John's attention. The new information and a dark cloud heavy with rain passing overhead cast shadows over Rodney's face as John turned back toward him. "It looks like things open up just below the surface into a huge cavern of some sort. Not only that, but I'm also getting some faint energy readings."

John turned and took a step back toward him. "Caverns and energy readings? You mean this is man-made?"

McKay nodded. "Looks that way. Maybe even Ancient man-made if these energy readings mean what I think they do."

John frowned at the scanner, then at the hole in the ground, pausing to wipe the rainwater from his face. "First things first. We've got to get that kid out of there." He paused, looking at Methet a short distance away as she held her arms tightly around her chest, then added quietly, "And as soon as possible."

McKay started to nod, then whispered, "Ah, crap."

John was alarmed by the sick look that had come over McKay's expression and he asked, "Rodney? What now?"

Rodney swallowed hard. "My initial scan just finished. It – it gets worse. The land below this cliff is riddled with the same type of instability that caused the hole the kid fell through. We could have more holes opening up on us with very little warning. It simply cannot stand up to any sort of weight. It's amazing something like this hasn't happen a long time ago."

Cursing under his breath, John took in the scene as several people with good intentions unloaded the supplies they'd brought to save the girl, unaware that their lives could also be in grave danger.

McKay continued, "We've got to limit the number of people helping to just a few and that wagon is dangerously close to an area of instability."

John turned to look where McKay was pointing. He took a few steps forward, and shouted, "Move that wagon back at least fifteen feet!"

"Twenty," McKay corrected quietly.

"Make that twenty and move it fast!"

Ronon was by the wagon and jumped up into the driver's seat and moved the wagon back as requested. The others paused and turned towards him as John continued, "People, you have to stop what you're doing and leave. That means everyone," he said, glancing over to Methet and the women with her.

Confusion crossed Methet's already haggard expression. John softened his tone as he looked at her, still speaking loud enough for the others to hear him. "More openings in the ground could happen like this one. We have to limit the number of people involved to minimize the risk."

Methet put a hand over her mouth and looked close to fainting. "No," she said in a hoarse whisper. "Ashina needs us working as fast as we can... "

John moved closer to her. "I swear we'll do everything we can to save your daughter, but we have to minimize the risk to the others."

"No," she said again, her hair starting to lay in wet clumps around her face from the increasing pace of falling rain, "my Ashina needs help – we can't just stop now... "

John took Methet by the shoulders before she could become hysterical again. "Methet, we aren't stopping. We're just taking precautions to make sure other people won't get hurt or worse. I've been around often enough for you to know I'm a man of my word, so when I say I will get your daughter back to you, I will, but you have to do what we say."

Methet's tear-filled eyes searched his expression for a long moment. Apparently, she sensed his commitment because she brought a hand up to rest on his chest. She held it there and whispered, "Colonel Sheppard, you have to save her."

"I will," he said softly, his gaze meeting hers without hesitation.

An older woman beside her said, "Methet, let them do what they have to do. Come, we are only slowing them down. Mita has sent word to Jisef. They will bring him back as fast as they can."

Methet reluctantly nodded and started to step away, her hand dragging across John's tac vest, then she grabbed hold of one of its pockets and lingered for a moment as she whispered, "Save her, please."

He looked deep into her eyes and nodded once, then she moved away, though her tears began anew. As if in response, the rain began to fall harder. John stared up at the sky and sighed. Nothing was going to be easy about this. John studied the dark clouds overhead, suspecting it wouldn't be long before they really let loose. He hoped to have Ashina out before then.

Mita stepped forward. "I do not care of the risk. I am going to help."

Five other men, including Straen, Linder, and Jensen, murmured similar statements and moved behind Mita. John nodded. "Okay, you six stay, along with my team, but no more. The rest of you move back towards the trading post."

That was when John noticed how the gathered crowd had grown in the few minutes his attention had been distracted. John caught Mita's gaze. "Maybe you could talk to them. Have them move back before they endanger a rescue operation and themselves."

Mita raised his arms and waved. "Everyone, please listen. Colonel Sheppard is quite right. Move back to a safe distance and allow us to work unimpeded."

The crowd did as asked, though not quite as quickly as John would have liked. When John glanced back at his team, he saw Rodney had walked over to see what supplies they had brought. He moved back toward him, and said, "I can have them set up some sort of lattice work using the boards and ladders to extend over the area to better distribute our weight and reduce the odds of another hole opening up. I've fallen through a hole in the ground before with Sam and Jennifer and it's not an experience I care to repeat."

John nodded. "Do it."

McKay wiped at the rain on his face and walked away as he started issuing orders to the volunteers. Within a few minutes, the basic work was done. The arrangement gave them a walkway to access the hole itself from a few different directions while providing them additional support and safety.

It had to be enough, John told himself, even as McKay's gaze darted around their work area nervously, fear and uncertainty apparent with his wide-eyed expression. It didn't escape John's attention that Rodney stayed at the outer edges of the lattice work, not even venturing onto them to test their strength, a silent testament to his confidence in the project, or lack thereof.

John took some rope from Ronon and started tying it into a makeshift harness. As he started to put it on, he said, "You guys can lower me down into the cavern, so I can get Ashina. I'll give you the all clear sign when I've got her, then you guys can pull both of us up using the wagon."

McKay returned to their group, shaking his head. "I don't know... I just don't know about this setup. It's not as secure as I would like. We need to wait until – "

John shook his head. "McKay, I'm sure it'll work just fine. It just needs to last long enough to get the kid out."

McKay shook his head. He was preparing to say more when his scanner beeped. He looked it over, and alarm now added a new sense of urgency. "Wait, maybe this explains part of it. There's an ultra high frequency signal of some type being transmitted that is destabilizing the ground here. For what reason, I have no idea – "

Ashina's breathless screams for help stopped all of them for a moment.

John tapped his hand against the thigh. "Come on, we've got to stop fooling around and just do it."

Rodney stepped forward. "No, you don't understand. This could involve a whole lot more than unstable ground. We really need to – "

"Rodney, we've got to try something. We have no idea how seriously that kid has been injured. She could be bleeding out while we sit on our hands doing nothing. And this rain isn't going to help things one bit. We've got to get to her before the ground becomes saturated with rain water. We'll rescue her, then try to figure out how and why this came to be. Besides, you're the resident genius, right? If you made this, then it's going to be good as long as we need it."

Rodney scratched the back of his neck in irritation, then heard Ashina cry and he swallowed down whatever comment he was about to make.

Ronon looked unruffled in the rain, even his dreadlocks seemed to resist the falling moisture, unlike most of the others gathered at the accident site. He glanced at the hole and then at John and said, "It's gonna be tight for you to pass through that opening."

John gazed at the hole, then shrugged. "Yeah, but I think I can squeeze through."

Teyla put her hand on John's forearm. "No, John. You need someone smaller to go through the opening of that hole. I can do it."

John chewed on his lip, knowing Teyla was right. Finally, he nodded. "All right, gear up. It's not going to be a pleasant trip, but we'll try to make it a fast one – "

John stopped suddenly, closing his eyes as he put a hand up to his ear. The high-pitched whine he'd heard ever since they'd first arrived at the trading outpost seemed to have grown in pitch and intensity with their change in location. He'd been trying to ignore it, but it was becoming more difficult.

Teyla touched him on the shoulder. "What is it, John?"

"Can't you hear it?" he asked, then opened his eyes to look at Teyla, then Ronon and finally Rodney.

Teyla exchanged a worried glance with Ronon, then saw John was looking at her and shook her head. "No, John, I do not."

Luckily, Rodney was nodding his head even as Teyla was saying no. "Yeah, yeah, I do, now that you mention it. It's an irritating buzz. I'm not sure what it is, but it's bugging the heck out of me, especially now that I know it's there."

John frowned. "You mean you didn't hear it when we first entered the outpost?"

Rodney shook his head. "No, just after we got here at the cliff."

"It's giving me a headache," John said quietly, then he pushed it out of his thoughts.

Rodney snapped his fingers several times. "Say, maybe it's related to that ultra high frequency I found."

John frowned. "Is it dangerous?"

McKay blinked a few times. "You mean dangerous, as in can it fry our brains?"

John pointed to the hole and said, "Look what it's doing to the ground. Is there a risk to the people here?"

Rodney swallowed hard as he thought, then said, "Maybe."

"Yet, Ronon and I hear nothing. Perhaps, it is related to the ATA gene?"

Rodney frowned, then nodded. "Possibly."

John put his hands on his hips. "All the more reason to get down there, get the kid and get the hell out of this area until it's properly examined."

Teyla looked up at John. "John, I would suggest Ronon and I should do this without you, especially if it might cause harm to the two of you. Mita and his men can back us up."

John shook his head. "No, it's not that bad."

Rodney was slower at agreeing, but once he did, he was committed. "No, we work best as a team, so as our fearless leader said, let's stop fooling around and get to work."

John put on his gloves as he gestured for the rest of his team to do the same. Rodney put his scanner into his backpack and pulled it over his shoulders.

Mita approached them after leaving his men at the lattice work. Mita had found a hat and the rain was dripping steadily off its edges. It was wet and going to get a lot wetter before the day was done.

Mita nodded at Teyla and her team with a hint of relief in his grim expression. "You people sound like you've done this before. That is very reassuring. You have proved yourselves to us in the past. I just wanted to say I also trust your judgment here."

"We will do our best," Teyla said with a reassuring smile.

"I know you will."

McKay fidgeted, his fingers grazing over his chin to fling away the rain dripping off of it, impatience echoing in his voice as he said, "Well, that's all very nice, but I suggest we get moving before the ground gives out completely or our brains really do start to fry."

Mita eyed Rodney and his comment with a strange expression, then seemed to push it aside as he said, "What can we do to help?"

John said, "Just stand ready with the ropes to help pull Teyla up once she gets the girl. It shouldn't take long."

McKay looked at Mita and said, "I've got an idea."

He motioned for the trader to follow him. Mita paused for a moment, then said, "We will be ready, Teyla, do not fear."

Thunder rumbled as Mita followed Rodney back to the wagon while John helped Teyla into the harness. By the time they were done, McKay had Mita's men rigging up some type of improvised pulley system. Teyla and John moved past the wagon, walking out onto the lattice work of ladders and boards to where Ronon was busying himself with some ropes.

When they arrived, Ronon attached the ropes to Teyla's harness. When he was done, he stood and pattered her on the shoulder. "Just be careful down there. We'll be watching your back up here."

McKay came toward Ronon, John and Teyla, carefully moving along the wooden beams and ladders. "This is all very, very thrown together."

Ronon stared up at the sky and said, "That lightning storm heading our way could make things a little more interesting."

"A little more interesting," McKay repeated. "Great. Just what we need to increase our odds of slipping off this lattice work to fall to our deaths below. The risk of electrocution. Nice."

As Rodney spoke, he fidgeted uneasily, as if he would rather be standing beside a hungry Wraith than there on the lattice work. John said, "Rodney, you don't need to be out here. Stay back by the wagon. We'll be fine."

Rodney shook his head and stammered nervously, "No, no, I'm here to support my teammates and that's exactly what I'm going to do. All for one and one for all, at least until we go down with the ship."

John shook his head. "If you are trying to boost morale, you really suck at it. Come on – "

McKay's blue eyes shone thorough the rainy haze around them as he said, "I don't think you realize how tenuous this setup is – "

"McKay, do you stand by your work?"

"Yes, of course, but – "

"That's all I need to hear, "John said as he shook his head. "We don't have time for pretty and perfect. We need to get that girl. It will have to last that long."

Both John and Rodney stopped speaking and glanced down as Ashina wailed from below. In a brave attempt to keep from sobbing, Methet shouted, "Hold on, Ashina, help is on the way!"

Teyla turned on her flashlight as she leaned over the hole, then she smiled as she raised up again. She called to Methet, "Ashina appears to be all right. Call to her again and tell her she will be safe. She needs to hear your voice."

"Hold up a sec," McKay said as he pulled out his handheld radio from his tac vest pocket and tossed it to John. "Give it to Teyla to drop down into the hole. You know, so the mother can talk to the girl, and help keep her calm."

When John gave Rodney a surprised look, McKay shrugged and muttered, "I can be sensitive, you know, to the needs of others around me. Okay, it's rare, but it does happen, Colonel Smart Ass."

Teyla beamed at Rodney, then looked down the hole and shouted to the girl. "Okay, Ashina, make sure you are away from the center of the cavern. Back up against the wall. Can you do that for me?"

There was some hesitation, then Teyla smiled and nodded her head. "Yes, that is a very good girl. Now, stay there for a moment."

John tied the rope around the radio and Teyla slowly lowered it down. Ronon walked over to Methet and handed his radio and headset to the worried mother, helping to place it in her ear. "You can talk to her now."

Still crying, Methet nodded and took a deep breath. "Ashina, can you hear me?"

"Mamma?" came back the instant reply.

Methet closed her eyes, smiling in relief. "It won't be very much longer, honey. Be strong for Mamma. I love you so much," she said, her voice soft and encouraging as Ronon returned to Teyla and John.

John checked the knots on Teyla's harness one more time. Teyla was about the only person John knew who could look composed and commanding in the middle of a downpour. "I am ready," she said.

John helped her move into position, saying, "Go easy."

She nodded again and lowered herself between the ladders with help from John and Ronon as McKay stood apprehensively behind them, then she disappeared down the hole.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Teyla was barely through the opening when a flurry of dirt and small rocks fell due to the rope rubbing against the edges of the hole.

"Damn it!" she heard John curse, then he yelled, "Hold up! Hold up! It's falling in on them!"

Methet shouted into the radio, "Ashina, stand back! Hide with your face against the wall!"

Teyla closed her eyes and rode out the shower of small debris, but it wasn't as bad as she had first feared when it had begun.

"Teyla, are you okay?" John shouted down at her.

She shook dirt from her hair, though the rain made part of it clump into mud. She twisted around and called to him, "Yes, I am fine. Do not stop, John, it is merely dirt and small rocks. Please continue."

There was some discussion she couldn't make out between Ronon, Rodney and John, then John called down, "Okay, we're going to start again, but more slowly this time so we can better control the movements of the rope."

"Understood," Teyla answered, then felt the rope begin to inch her downward again.

The cavern was huge, roughly fifty feet by fifty feet with the ceiling twenty feet above – much larger than Teyla had imagined with Rodney's earlier description. There hadn't been any hint in the landscape above that there could be something so expansive down below.

Even though there was some light streaming in from the hole up above, Teyla needed her flashlight to locate Ashina. She could see the little girl clearly now as she hid in the farthest reaches of the cavern. The girl's tear-streaked face turned toward Teyla and she didn't look happy.

"MAMMA!" Ashina screamed, her tone increasing in volume the closer Teyla got to her. "MAMMA! I WANT MY MAMMA!"

"It is okay, Ashina. I am here to help you," Teyla said, trying to assure the child as she held tight to the rope still lowering her down.

Ashina squirmed as if trying to press herself further into the wall. "NOT YOU, I DON'T WANT YOU! I WANT MY MAMMA! NOT YOU!"

"Ashina," Methet said over the radio, her voice deliberately soft and comforting. "It's Mamma, honey. You remember Teyla, don't you? She and her friends have celebrated the Trabben Festival with us a few times. We took them some desserts we made. You must listen to what she tells you to do."

"Mamma? Mamma, come get me! I'm scared!" Ashina pleaded. "I want you!"

Methet continued to speak and Ashina calmed down more as she listened. "Shini, Daddy is on his way back from the hills and should be with us soon."

"I want Daddy now! He could get me! I want him now!"

Methet's voice grew softer as she said, "Daddy will be here as soon as he can. Please, honey, please let Teyla help you. She will bring you to me. You want that, don't you?"

When Teyla's feet finally touched the rubble-strewn floor, Ashina didn't look at her with as much fear. Teyla smiled at her, sending her strength and peace, then said softly, "Hello, Ashina. Do you remember I helped you with your doll last time we visited? Remember how we fixed her leg so that it would move again? I know I look very different not with dirt and mud on my face and hair, and it's dark down here, but we really did have fun that day. Your doll's name was... Sodo?"

"Soho," Ashina whispered, a hint of recognition in her eyes.

Teyla continued, "Soho, yes, of course, I remember now. Ashina, I know you are scared, but I am here to take you to your mother. Are you ready to go, little one?"

John's voice came over the radio. "Don't waste any time, Teyla. Signal us when you are in position."

"Yes, John," she said as she stepped carefully through the rubble until she was beside the girl.

She knelt and looked her over for outward signs of injury. Ashina was dirty and her exposed skin revealed several cuts. Ashina held one arm close to her body. She had been crying so hard that her breathing hitched with each inhalation.

Teyla met Ashina's troubled gaze and asked, "Ashina, are you okay?"

Before the child could answer, Methet's voice came over the radio. "Ashina, Mamma loves you. Let Teyla help you."

A timid smile appeared on Ashina's tear-streaked face. She held up the radio in her small hand as her other arm hung stiffly at her side. Her voice was soft, almost impossible to hear. "That's my mamma talking on this box thing."

Teyla smiled and moved closer. "That is correct. The box thing is called a radio and you will soon be in your mother's arms again. She misses you very much, but in order for you to get to her, you will have to do as I say, okay?"

Ashina nodded and Teyla wiped away Ashina's tears with the back of her fingers. "Does your arm hurt?"

Ashina nodded, again her breath shuddered. "I fell on it."

Teyla reached down and touched the arm lightly, but released it when Ashina gasped and jerked it away. It wasn't an obvious break that Teyla could detect, but the shirt Ashina wore had long sleeves, hiding whatever damage was underneath. Without at least exposing the arm or feeling for a break, there was no way for Teyla to know for certain. It did seem to cause Ashina some discomfort, but the pain didn't appear severe – yet with children, pain was often difficult to gauge.

"We will have our doctor look at your arm once you are back to your mother. Are you hurt anywhere else?"

Ashina's lip trembled. "All over."

Teyla took a deep breath. "Well, then let us not linger here any longer. I will need to hold you while they pull us up. Will that be okay?"

Ashina looked uneasy, but she licked her lips and nodded.

"Very well then," Teyla said as she adjusted her harness, preparing to pick Ashina up. "Let us begin."

Teyla was surprised that Ashina went so willingly into her arms. Mud and water dripped down on them at a steady pace as they stood directly below the opening of the cavern, but Teyla ignored it. She was about to signal for the others to pull her up when she heard John exclaim, "Whoa!"

Dirt started cascading more heavily from above. John shouted, "Damn it! Watch out below!"

Teyla bent over to protect Ashina as she moved toward the nearest cavern wall, though her heart was with her friends up above still in harm's way. She tightened her grip around Ashina and pushed even deeper into the far reaches of the cavern as the commotion above continued.

**oOoOoOoOo**

John put out his hands for balance as the horizontal ladder he stood upon started to shift. He looked over at Ronon and McKay standing a short distance away on different sets of ladders, doing the same thing. The rain-slick wood they were on didn't help things one bit.

"Those damn beasts will be the death of us!" McKay exclaimed, his eyes dark with barely controlled anger.

John looked over at the object of McKay's fury, a terrified miraffe that had escaped from its handlers while unharnessing it from the wagon. Mita's men were still trying to control the remaining miraffes. In its panic, the renegade miraffe had trampled part of the outer arrangement of the lattice work, destabilizing the basic integrity of the whole setup, putting all of them on the platform at risk, especially since the miraffe was still on the loose.

John lowered his hands and exhaled, then said, "It's okay, McKay. Just focus on the problem at hand."

"That_ is_ the problem! That's exactly the problem!" He pointed at the miraffe as it evaded a couple of the handlers when they tried to near it, sparking the miraffe to make another run at the lattice work again. McKay held his breath, fear and anger giving his expression harsh lines until the miraffe turned away at the last moment and ran to the darker areas under the cliff face. "Do you realize how screwed we are at this moment?" Rodney began to breathe heavily as panic settled in.

John softened his voice and said, "Okay, Rodney, this was unexpected, and it sucks, but we will just have to go forward from here. Think for a moment. Is there anything we can do to make the situation better?"

McKay tore his gaze away from the miraffe and exclaimed, "You have got to be kidding me! There is no way in hell – "

Ronon made McKay jump when he growled, "McKay, get a grip. We've got work to do."

John nodded, but kept his tone calm. "Exactly, we've got to work to do. Remember, there's a little girl depending on us. Now, is there anything Mita's men can do to help stabilize things from where they are?"

McKay looked around, his shoulders slumping. He wiped the rain off his face and shook his head. "No, there isn't anything anybody can do. Screwed, remember? Teyla and the kid will just have to wait until more help comes from Atlantis," he paused, glaring at the sky above them. "But if somebody can do something about this damned rain!"

John had learned over time how to read McKay. Right now, what he saw didn't encourage him, but he believed in Rodney's assessment of the situation. "Forget about the rain. Okay, if we can't do anything more to help Teyla and the girl, we need to move nice and slow off – "

He started to take a step forward, but McKay shouted, "No, don't move!"

John stopped himself in mid-step. When he looked up, McKay's eyes were wide with fear. "Do you want to plummet to your death?"

John's eyes bulged for a moment, then he said, "Not exactly, Rodney, but we've got to do something. We can't just stand around here indefinitely."

John glanced at the men behind Ronon and McKay. "You guys better back away as slowly as you can. The fewer people on this lattice work, the better."

As the men retreated, Mita, who was still standing at the wagon, called out, "Our apologies for allowing the boyan beast – the miraffe as you call them – to escape. What can we do now to help you?"

The rain was steady now and heavier. John shook his head. "Nothing right now, Mita. Give us a moment to figure out our best way out of this."

John looked at Ronon and Rodney, and said in a lower tone, "You two better start moving away, too."

Rodney shook his head. "No, no, let it settle a little more."

The ground near John's ladder eroded further, making John swallow hard. "If it settles any more, Rodney, I'll wind up down there with Teyla. You, too, if you aren't careful, so move away."

"If we move, you'll fall for sure. Look at the way the lattice work has shifted. Damn that obnoxious beast for trampling my design! This is _so_ not my fault, damn it!"

John shook his head. "Nobody said it was, Rodney. If it was anybody's fault, it's mine for rushing us into this situation."

Ronon grunted in disagreement, then brushed at his dreads. The big guy was beginning to look a little waterlogged. He flexed his shoulders. "It was a good plan until now."

McKay nodded. "Well, we – we need a new plan in place before anyone moves anywhere."

"I'm all ears – " John started, then the miraffes still tied to the wagon suddenly brayed loudly, as if they too sensed impeding doom. The unexpected noise made John flinch and it grated on his nerves. It didn't help that every time he tried to shift his weight, more ground near his ladder crumbled away.

"The weight distribution here is just too damned precarious. I never did like those 'miraffes' as you call them. Stupid, stupid beasts and now they may be the death of us all." He closed his eyes and let out a long breath.

John cleared his throat, then squared his shoulders. "Think positive, Rodney, you can do this."

Rodney opened his eyes and looked around. He frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Just – just let me think for a moment."

"Yeah, sure, take your time," John repeated as he forced his clenched fingers to open, and tried to estimate their odds of success if he just had all of them make a run for it. The numbers he came up with weren't any more reassuring than McKay's had been, so he added for McKay's benefit, "Just remember, adults don't bounce as easily as kids."

John's gaze darted to the miraffe as it was being led back toward the trading outpost, still fighting against its handler, then over at Methet as she gaped in horror at their plan gone wrong. They were down to minutes, maybe seconds – time they didn't have to spare.

The other miraffes still yoked to the wagon brayed loudly now with an almost constant commotion as they shifted against their harness uneasily. John wondered if the buzzing he heard was also affecting the miraffes – after all, the high frequency signal had destabilized the ground and was giving him one hell of a headache... it wasn't beyond the realm of possibility that the miraffes heard it, too.

Ronon cursed under his breath as he had to change his stance due to more eroding ground near him, and said, "Come on, McKay. We're running out of time."

McKay snapped his fingers. "Grab hold of the ropes tied to the wagon. The others can pull us to safety if the lattice work gives way."

John's patience was wearing thin and it was reflected in his voice. "It took you that long to come up with that pearl of wisdom? Geez... maybe that buzzing noise is frying your brain – otherwise you'd realize your idea might save us, but what about Teyla and the kid down below? That lattice work has got to go somewhere."

Rodney's eyes widened as John's words hit home, then he reacted. "I hate to burst your bubble, but this thing is going to go down there whether we help it along or not. Maybe, we could – we could... "

More ground dropped away, sparing McKay from another suggestion, then the tripod they'd set up over the hole to lower Teyla and some wooden beams in the lattice work started dropping into the cavern.

"Ah, crap," John said, then he turned and shouted, "Teyla, incoming!"

There was the echoed crash of the wood hitting the bottom of the cavern, then an awful silence, followed by heart-wrenching shrieks.

"Teyla?" John shouted, then repeated, "Teyla? Come in."

McKay chewed on his lower lip for a moment, then he squinted as if that would help him see through the ground separating them from Teyla. "I'm pretty sure they're okay. That cavern is huge – really huge. If they were against any of the walls, they'd be okay." He glanced down and whispered, "Please, be okay."

"Ashina! Ashina! Talk to me!" Methet's voice resounded with fear.

"She is fine, Methet," Teyla said finally, speaking over Ashina's crying. "The noise merely frightened her and I had to settle her down, but we are fine."

John's gaze darted over to Methet. The woman looked like a stone statue, unmoving even as the women around her tried to offer comfort, except for her gaze, which felt like it was boring a hole deep into John's soul.

Teyla spoke next. "What is your situation, John?"

"Uncertain," John answered after a moment. "Just stay back in case this goes badly. At best, it looks like we'll have to wait until help arrives from Atlantis to set up something more elaborate to pull you and the girl out."

"Understood," Teyla said. John could almost see her worried expression as she added, "Be safe."

"Yeah, that's the game plan."

McKay's head swivelled, taking in the area around them, then he started snapping his fingers. "Okay, have Mita and his people throw us some ropes for us to tie around us. That way if the ground below us gives way, they can still pull us to safety. It's better than holding onto the ropes going to the wagon, but there's no way for us to get off this lattice work without at least some of it falling below. Teyla and the kid will be safe as long as they stay to the far corners of the cavern."

John frowned. He didn't like the options available to them, but McKay was right. It was a lot safer to be tied to a rope than clinging to one as they waited to be pulled to safety. John wiped the rain from his face, then tapped his fingers against his pant leg and nodded. There was no other way to proceed. At least they knew with Teyla down there with the girl that Ashina would be kept safe until more help arrives.

He shouted to Mita. "We need you to throw each one of us a line. We're going to tie the ropes to ourselves before we try to move off the lattice work."

Mita nodded. "Fine, give us a moment."

McKay raised his head and spoke up. "Try to spread out and throw them from different locations around us. That way we shouldn't get in each other's way as we dangle helplessly while waiting to be pulled to safety... " his voice trailed off at the end.

John frowned as he looked around them and then at the wagon, pointing at it as he said, "Mita, cut the ropes connecting Teyla to the wagon and move the wagon all the way back to the road."

Turning back to the others, John muttered, "Doesn't look like we'll be able to use the wagon anyway."

Linder nodded and Straen hopped up into the driver's seat. By the time the others were done, the wagon was away.

Rodney cleared his throat as he stuck out a finger in John's direction. "When we do this, you better start first, John, that way if you fall, it won't be our fault."

Both John and Ronon turned in Rodney's direction, causing him to backpedal a bit. "Well, you know what I meant, I'm just saying it won't be because of Big Foot or me, instead it will be from your own actions."

"Right," John said as he rolled his eyes a little. He looked over at Ronon and Rodney. "Okay, I'll go first – just be ready to move your asses if this all goes south... literally."

He wiped his damp gloves against his BDUs and nodded again. He kept telling himself that their plan was going to work despite the fact that everything inside of him screamed it wasn't.

Mita yelled, "Okay, we can throw the ropes to you now."

John nodded. Mita's men were spread out in a semi-circle around them in teams of three, each team ready to help pull their man to safety. The ropes were flung outward and John, Ronon, and Rodney caught the ropes thrown to them, but then Rodney dropped his and it fell too far away from him to reach.

Mita waved at Rodney. "We shall try again, Dr. McKay. Just a moment."

As they pulled back the rope to try again, Rodney looked a little sick, and said, "Maybe – maybe if that damned buzzing in my head would stop for half a second, I could concentrate a little better to hold onto things... Crap, the galaxy's greatest mind is probably frying as we speak."

John smirked. "Don't worry, Rodney, I don't think your brain is fried yet."

There was the briefest glimpse of relief before McKay steeled his gaze. "And how the hell do you know that?"

John shrugged slightly. "Because you're still talking too damned much to have fried brains."

"Wonderful. Jokes in the face of imminent death. I should be used to it by now," McKay muttered.

When John glanced back at Ronon, he saw Ronon was nearly done securing his rope. John decided he'd better get moving, too, and wrapped his rope around his waist. Rodney's rope was tossed to him again. John started to tie himself off when more ground behind him started to fall.

John whispered, "Ah, crap," and tried to adjust his stance.

McKay was scurrying to wrap his rope around himself, saying, "I'm not ready, I'm not ready. I am _so_ not ready."

"Hurry, Rodney," John said as he finished, gripping his rope tightly just as the ground beneath him gave way.

There was a look of sheer panic on McKay's face and John knew why. His rope was still not tied and he was falling. John tried to swing toward McKay, already knowing he was too far away to catch hold of him. At the last moment, Ronon latched onto McKay's arm with one hand, and then they swung out of John's line of sight.

John held onto the rope as he fell. Its length slid quickly through his gloved hands, eating up the slack between him and the men holding the other end of his rope. The friction became uncomfortably hot despite his gloves, but John knew it wouldn't last long – there wasn't very much rope left, and once that was used up, things would probably get a little dicey.

Just as he predicted, the rope snapped taut, the momentum threw John into a wild swing about ten feet above the floor of the cavern toward one of the cavern's walls. The rope cut into John's waist and it felt like the force would snap him in two, but he had other things to worry about.

Problem number one: The bulk of the lattice work from above was falling through the now enlarged opening behind him and problem number two: one of the cavern walls was coming up fast in front of him. He tried to spin around and hit the wall with his feet, but the rope didn't cooperate and there was just too damned much going on with dirt and rock still pelting him from above. He threw up his arms to protect his head, but didn't quite make the maneuver in time. The impact flashed white hot pain that shot from his head, chest and left arm to the rest of his body and knocked the air from him.

Even in his dazed state, he felt movement through the rope and knew Mita's men were attempting to pull him up but all it did was cause more debris fall. Besides, he could hardly breathe because of the rope around his waist. He heard Ashina screaming with fear and he wondered if Teyla was okay.

It only took a split second to decide that he needed to stay down in the cavern with Teyla and Ashina, so he pulled his knife from its sheath at his back and sliced through the rope as he swung. With the rope cut, he fell the remaining ten feet to the ground and tried to roll, using his momentum, rather than impact with the ground, but the ground was uneven with rubble and he hit it hard, then everything went black.

**oOoOoOoOo**

**Chapter 2**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

The crash of the ladders and boards falling into the pit was bad enough, but that was nothing compared to the worry that stabbed at Teyla's heart, knowing something above them had gone terribly wrong. She squeezed Ashina closer to the cavern wall, protecting her from the falling debris with her own body acting as a shield for the child. Luckily, all Teyla felt was the peppering effect of flying objects with her jacket and tac vest buffering most of the debris.

When the cavern grew silent again, except for Ashina's terrified screams, Teyla straightened and looked around with her flashlight. There was barely any space on the ground to move about, because of the sprawling rubble. Teyla heard Methet's voice come over the radio. "Ashina? Shini, honey, answer Mamma! Teyla? Someone, please answer!"

Somehow, hearing Methet's voice over the radio in Ashina's hand broke through the child's panic and she stopped crying long enough to say, "Mamma? Mamma, come get me! I want out! Please, Mamma!"

Teyla knelt down and hugged Ashina, who was rigid in her arms.

Methet murmured, "I know, Shini, I know. Just hold on."

Ashina shook her head. "It's too scary here! I want to go now!"

Teyla continued to hold Ashina, patting her on the back as she shushed her quietly. "It is scary, but we are okay, Ashina. I will get you to your mother as soon as I can, I promise."

Ashina relaxed a little and sank into Teyla's embrace as she sobbed. Teyla took a deep breath, trying to get a handle on her own adrenaline that was pumping through her system. She squeezed Ashina again, then leaned closer to speak into Ashina's radio, "Methet, Ashina is fine, she is merely frightened. What has happened?"

Methet's tone changed as her words came in a rush, "Your friends fell through the new opening in the ground. We cannot see where they landed from here, but the ropes holding them went slack as if they were cut or snapped. Can you see them?"

Teyla's gaze darted upward. "My friends? All three of them?"

"Yes, it happened very quickly."

Teyla chewed on her lip for a moment as she stared into the dusty darkness, then said, "I do not see anyone at the moment. I will look for them and report when I have more information."

Methet hesitated as if unsure what to say next, then she added, "People are coming from all over the trading post to help, Teyla."

"Good. Others from my people will be here soon. Tell them what happened. I will see what I can do here."

Turning away from Ashina, she tapped her radio off and called out, "John? Rodney? Ronon? Where are you?"

She thought she heard some movement, and maybe a groan, but she still couldn't see anyone. Ashina's crying had quieted, but Teyla could feel the child pressed tightly against her. Teyla knew she had to settle her down before she could begin searching for the others.

She pulled away from Ashina a little and drew her hands up to encircle Ashina's face. "I promise you we will be okay, but I need to look for my friends."

Ashina's lower lip trembled and she whispered, "Don't leave me."

"I will not leave you, little one. You may go with me as I search for my friends. They fell through a hole in the ground as you did."

She patted Ashina's tear-streaked cheek and said, "Come with me while I search for them."

The expression on Ashina's face brightened and she nodded as she spoke into her radio, "Mamma, I'm going with Teyla to help her."

Teyla nodded and added, "If I say to stay back at any point in our search, Ashina, you must obey me without question."

Ashina nodded.

"Listen to what she tells you to do, Shini," Methet said, her voice tight with anxiety, and Teyla wondered if Methet feared her daughter was about to venture into greater danger.

"Do not worry, Methet. I will watch over her," Teyla said, wishing she could show Methet that Ashina was safe instead of just saying the words.

Ashina looked up at Teyla. There was a confidence about her, the kind only small children possessed, fueled solely by their innocence, as she said, "I'm a good helper."

Teyla squeezed Ashina gently as she stood. "I am sure you are. Come, we will begin the search."

Ashina hesitated for just a moment, looking out at the rubble filling the cavern, then said, "My mamma lets me sing when I help her. Can I still sing with my mamma now?"

Smiling sadly, Teyla said, "No, little one, I must be able to hear my friends if they call to me. Perhaps, later, when we know everyone is safe. Give me your radio and I will put in my vest pocket."

Ashina shook her head. "I have a big pocket in my shirt for the radio. It's where I keep Soho and her stuff."

Ashina went to put the radio into her pocket. A stricken look passed over her expression as she moved her hand with the radio around in the pocket. "Soho! I lost Soho! She was in my pocket and now she's not!"

Teyla glanced around and didn't see anything resembling Soho in the rubble and mud. Ashina's tears began to fall anew as she spun around in a circle. "I lost Soho! We have to find her!"

Teyla clasped the girl's shoulder. "Ashina, we do not have the time to look for her now, but I promise you we will later."

Ashina ran her hand around the inside of the big pocket again to no avail. Her tears escalated into sobbing. Teyla closed her eyes and silently begged the Ancestors for help. She didn't have time – more specifically, her friends didn't have time – for a temper tantrum right now. The fact that she couldn't see or hear anything from them cast a cloak of apprehension over her heart.

Ashina pressed her face into Teyla's leg. "I have to find Soho."

Teyla knelt down beside her again and said, "I have a suggestion. While I look for my friends, you can look for Soho. Does that sound agreeable?"

Ashina wiped at the tears on her cheek, then she stared at the radio still clutched in her hand. She took a deep breath and slid the radio into a large pocket in the center of her shirt. The weight of the radio pulled her shirt forward and down, but Ashina didn't seem to notice as she gave Teyla a glimpse of a smile. "See, I told you it would fit."

Teyla smiled back at her. "Well, that is a convenient place. Come, we must not waste any more time."

Teyla knew she was rushing Ashina, but they had to get moving. Methet's voice was soft as she said, "Thank you, Teyla, for keeping her close to you."

Teyla knew how she'd feel if it was Torren trapped in a similar situation. She patted Ashina's shoulder. "There really was no other option. I could not have left her alone, not in the middle of everything that is going on. Come, it is time to go, Ashina. Take my hand."

Ashina clasped Teyla's hand, wrapping her little fingers around Teyla's. Teyla stood and turned back to stare into the rubble. The ground above must have been much more unstable than Rodney had originally feared, and she wondered in what condition she'd find her friends, especially with so much debris present.

"Can anyone hear me?" she asked loudly as she began to step around the rubble.

There were dangerously sharp rocks strewn throughout the area, along with the broken timber from the lattice work, jagged edges sticking out at every angle ready to trip her up if she wasn't careful. It was difficult to traverse, because they would hit a pocket of soft dirt, then it would shift and there would be an unmoving rock or splintered wood in its wake, leaving their gait very unsteady.

She turned to Ashina and knelt down. "This would go faster if I carried you. Would that be all right?"

Ashina nodded, but her expression revealed a blend of fear, pain, and apprehension. Her voice was very small as she whispered, "Please, can I sing, Teyla? I promise I'll be really quiet."

Teyla studied her for a moment as Ashina's big blues eyes begged for her approval and she noted how Ashina's breathing would catch now and then, remnants of her sobbing still present. "Does it help to sing when you are scared?" Teyla asked finally and Ashina nodded.

Teyla picked Ashina up, mindful of her injured arm, and hugged her gently. Trying to keep a little girl calm in the middle of a disaster was not easy, even with the bravest of children, but Ashina was trying. Once Teyla adjusted Ashina on her hip, she met Ashina's waiting gaze. "Yes, Ashina, you may sing, but you must do it very quietly."

A relieved smile stilled Ashina's trembling chin. Teyla began walking again, and Ashina laid her head against Teyla's shoulder. "_'The Sun and the Moon are Sisters' _is my favorite song."

After a moment, she started to sing. Her tiny voice seemed to resonant in the air around them, and it cut through all the emotions swirling through Teyla's heart. The lyrics Ashina sang as Teyla walked forward spoke of the family of the sun and the moon, and their cousins, the stars, and how they spent their time playing as they crossed the sky.

Though the melody was light and cheerful, Teyla was filled with dread. There was a gnawing at the bottom of her stomach and she knew it wouldn't go away until she'd found the others safe and sound.

From another direction, there was some coughing, then louder groans. Teyla turned that way, her flashlight sweeping over the area as she held her breath, then she heard a sharp intake of air and, "Ouch!"

Teyla sighed deeply with relief as she recognized the voice. "Rodney!" she exclaimed. "I am coming to you!" she shouted.

Ashina stopped singing as Teyla adjusted her hold on the girl, then took off in Rodney's direction, traversing the rubble that separated them as fast as she could. She nearly stumbled once, making her tighten her hold on Ashina.

Rodney groaned again and she called out again, "Hold on, Rodney, I am near!"

"Teyla?" Rodney's voice sounded rough and confused, and her heart began to pound a little harder.

"Yes, Rodney, it is me."

"Ow, ow, ow," he murmured.

Teyla could see him move now and her relief grew. She stopped at his side and set Ashina on the ground. "Stay beside me, Ashina," Teyla said quickly as she turned toward Rodney.

Rodney moved as if he was going to sit up and she rushed to place a hand on his chest to stop him. "No, do not move, Rodney, at least not until we see the extent of your injuries. How are you?"

McKay groaned. "How the hell do you think I am? I just fell twenty feet to the bottom of a huge pit. Unfortunately, I didn't bounce."

Teyla shone the flashlight over McKay's body and didn't see anything terribly wrong with him, but she also knew the worst kind of injuries often couldn't be seen with the naked eye.

"Ah, geez, not this, too," McKay muttered as he brought his hands up to cover his ears and groaned loudly.

"Rodney?" Teyla asked, uncertain how to help the man.

"That damned buzzing noise is a whole lot louder down here. I so do not need that right now!"

He closed his eyes and let his head drop to the ground. "Just shoot me now."

Teyla made her tone stern to help keep Rodney directed as she said, "There will be no shooting of any kind. Where are you hurt?"

Rodney scowled, then reached for his leg. "My knee. It's broken or something. You can break your kneecap, can't you? That's got to be what it is, because it hurts like a son of a bitch!"

Teyla took out her knife and slit Rodney's pant leg open from his boot to above his knee, then reached forward to examine his knee. The joint was already bruised and starting to swell, but she couldn't feel any obvious breaks with the quick sweep of her fingers. Before she could check it out further, Rodney exclaimed, "No! Stop it! That hurts, damn it!"

Teyla felt Ashina lean against Teyla's back, a little hand touching her shoulder, with Rodney's angry words. She glanced back at her and said, "Do not worry, Ashina. Everything will be fine. My friend, Rodney, likes to talk loudly. He does it all the time."

"I do not!" Rodney sputtered indignantly, then paused, looking to see who Teyla was talking to, then stared at Ashina for a moment.

Teyla put a hand on Ashina's shoulder, then put out her other hand towards McKay. "Ashina, do you remember my friend, Rodney?"

Ashina's gaze narrowed as she looked at Rodney closely, then she shook her head.

McKay's mouth gaped open, then he sputtered, "That's her? Well, obviously, it has to be her, but – but she's so little. I don't remember her being so tiny. Who would have let that little girl go off running where there could be unstable ground – "

"Rodney," Teyla said firmly.

"Seriously," he started, "she's barely big enough – "

"Rodney."

McKay nodded reluctantly, then cleared his throat. "Hi," he said to Ashina with forced politeness before he turned to glare at Teyla.

Ashina didn't say anything, just stared at him which seemed to make Rodney more uncomfortable. Rodney glanced at Teyla for support or maybe it was guidance he was looking for. She gave him an encouraging smile, then Rodney moved the wrong way and hissed loudly in pain.

When he could speak again, he ignored Ashina completely and looked to Teyla. "You know, I just remembered reading once that it only takes six to eight kilos of pressure to fracture a kneecap. Six to eight kilos of pressure. That's nothing... Crap, I've fractured my kneecap! Do you know the complications that can arise from an injury like that? They'll probably have to amputate or something equally dire."

"Let me take a closer look," Teyla said as she went to examine Rodney's knee joint again, but he stopped her. "No, it hurts enough already. I won't have it blindly groped. I'm just not up to that at the moment."

Teyla sighed. "Very well, I will look at it later when we have more time. For the moment, I will use your cut pant leg to bind the knee and help provide a little more support."

She tied it off, which caused him to yelp again in pain. Filling her tone with compassion for his situation, she said, "Rodney, your knee is definitely injured, but there is no way to know if it is broken or not until Jennifer can put you under a scanner."

"Trust me, it's broken," Rodney moaned, keeping a hand on his knee. He glanced over at Ashina again. "She's okay? I mean, the kid – "

"Ashina," Teyla inserted.

"Very well, Ashina, then, is she okay?"

Teyla nodded. "For the most part."

She was about to say more when Rodney tried to raise his head high enough to look around. "Where's Tarzan?"

"Tarzan?" Teyla repeated, fearing for a moment that he had begun to hallucinate.

"Yeah, Tarzan, you know, the guy who grabbed me and went flying through the air, holding onto me and a thin little rope. The only thing missing was an ear-piercing yodel and a loincloth. Then he dropped me, by the way – none too gently. That wooly mammoth is going to get a piece of my mind when I see him next."

Ashina pressed herself closer to Teyla's back again, knowing Rodney's fast-paced monologue was adding to the child's fearful state.

"You speak of Ronon?" Teyla asked softly, already knowing the answer as her gaze darted around the area near them.

"Who the hell else would fit that description?" Rodney sneered as he tried to move.

"Be still," she said, "I will look for him."

Rodney's wide eyes skimmed the scene around them as he opened and closed his mouth several times. This time, when Rodney tried to sit up, he didn't back down, even when she put a firm hand on his chest.

"No," Rodney said as he resisted, "Seriously, I think Ronon's hurt. I – I heard him cry out right after he dropped me – and you know him, he never screams, not even if he's been cut in half."

He put a hand to his forehead. "How I heard his scream in the middle of everything falling down around us, I don't know, but I did and we've got to find him."

Teyla started to shift her weight as her gaze darted around the area, and she felt Ashina step back a little, anticipating Teyla's move to stand. Resigned to the fact that McKay's stubbornness could rival John's at times, Teyla scooted back to give him some space, only to have Rodney wince and grab his leg. "Ow!"

She started to reach for his leg again when he brushed her hands away. "No, no, it's okay for the moment. We've got to find – "

Teyla's hands curled into fists. She took a deep breath and let her frustration with Rodney drift away. The man was hurt and worried – if their roles had been reversed, would she be acting much differently?

Rodney's features tightened and his grogginess continued to slip away. He asked, "Say, wh-where is Sheppard?"

He blinked several times. Teyla could almost see the events sweep across his mind's eye as he said, "Damn, Sheppard went down first... we've got to find him – we've got to find both him and Ronon!"

Teyla nodded. With a great deal of effort, she got Rodney to his feet. He held his injured leg out stiffly, puffing short gasps of air. Even though everything told Teyla she needed to keep Rodney still, she also knew there was no way Rodney was going to lie down until he knew the fate of his teammates. It was only part of the reason why he held a special place In her heart.

Ashina moved closer to her again, pressing against the back of her leg. "Stay beside me, Ashina," she said quietly without looking back at her.

They had just stepped forward when people yelled at them from up above. Teyla couldn't make out the words. She was about to radio Methet to find out what was going on when more rock began to drop to the floor of the cavern. Teyla bent over to protect Ashina. The rubble landed several feet away from them, but it was still alarming.

Teyla tapped her radio, then said tersely, "Methet, please ask the others to do nothing more until my people arrive to help. The debris that falls further endangers those of us down here. I will contact you when I have more information. Teyla out."

She exhaled sharply as she tapped off her radio.

Rodney's voice was quiet as he said, "No wonder the rest of us are afraid of you when you're pissed off. You'll scare off every rescuer for kilometers using a tone like that. Don't worry, we'll find Ronon and Sheppard."

Teyla eyed him closely. Rodney had a knot rising at the top of his forehead and his words sounded nothing like the usual McKay acerbity. He started forward with Teyla's arm around his back to help steady him, but his gait was uneven because he was trying to avoid putting any weight on his bad knee. Teyla had to work extra hard to keep him from toppling both of them. Ashina kept one hand on the back of Teyla's right leg, as if to help steady her, too.

"Go slowly," Teyla told Rodney, keeping one hand on his upper arm to catch him again if she needed to, then she saw part of a broken ladder at their feet.

Bending to pick it up, she brushed the dirt from it and using her handgun as a hammer, she knocked all of the remaining rungs free except for the top rung. She held it in front of Rodney. He rolled his eyes, but took the makeshift crutch from her without comment and tested it carefully. It wasn't an exact fit, but it was close enough to be useful.

Stepping away from him, she took Ashina's hand and called out in a louder tone, "Ronon, John, please answer!"

Rodney winced again, then put a hand to his temple, making Teyla worry more for him. Perhaps, she shouldn't have let him get to his feet... but how was she going to look for the others while also keeping Rodney down, short of hurting him more?

There was some coughing from their right caused her and Rodney to turn in unison. Rodney swayed a little from the movement, but he didn't seem to notice as he called out, "Ronon? Is that you?"

Teyla held her breath as she heard Ronon groan, and cocked her head to one side to better pinpoint his position. Ashina pointed excitedly and said, "He's over there!"

Rodney looked at Ashina strangely, as if just remembering she was with them, but there was relief in his expression as his gaze darted toward Ronon. They moved together in that direction. "Ronon, please answer us," Teyla called out.

Ashina started to lead the way until Teyla gestured for her to stay back with her. "Do not stray far from my side, little one."

She heard Ronon utter a Satedan curse. He sounded as if he was grinding his teeth together as he let out another low angry groan. That was never a good sign with Ronon.

"Ronon?" she called again.

"Here," he said finally.

The beam of Teyla's flashlight caught Ronon as he tried to stand, holding onto the wall of the cavern for support.

"Stay where you are, Ronon! We are almost to you," she called.

Now that she could see Ronon, she noticed the odd way Ronon held his arm. Something was wrong. He bent forward, then threw up, surprising all of them.

Rodney started mumbling, "Oh, that's not good. No, not good at all. I always hurl when somebody gets sick around me. No question about it."

As if to illustrate his point, Rodney put a hand over his mouth and gagged while Ashina darted behind Teyla and pressed herself against Teyla's leg in response.

"Stay here," she told Rodney, leaving him to stand on his own, then bent down to catch Ashina's eye. "I need to help my friend. Rodney will watch over you."

Ashina's lower lip puffed out, and tears started forming in her eyes, making Teyla take Ashina's hand. "You may come with me," she said as she rushed over to Ronon's side.

When they arrived, she stopped in front of Ronon and let go of Ashina's hand, moving her hand to rest on Ronon's back as he retched again.

"Ronon?" she asked, trying to catch his eye when he came up for air.

When Ronon raised his head, his jaw was firmly clamped shut and he grimaced as he moved his upper body. "Shoulder," he said finally. "Dislocated it again."

"Ah, yes, I can see that," Teyla said after a moment, "Allow me to assist you."

Ronon looked at her again, grimacing. "Don't think you can do it by yourself, Teyla."

She smiled at him. "You sometimes underestimate my abilities, my friend. It is a situation I will have to address one of these days," she said softly.

She glanced down at Ashina and smiled, then said, "Give me a moment."

She turned Ronon toward the wall, then climbed up on some rubble.

"On the count of three," she told him and he nodded.

She began counting as she took hold of his injured arm, "One."

Positioning it as best she could, she said, "Two."

She shifted her weight, then moved it all to bear on his arm and shoulder as she said, "Three."

The joint moved easily back into place as Ronon groaned hoarsely, then dropped to his knees. Teyla followed Ronon down and knelt beside him, moving his face toward hers with her hand. "Ronon?"

He was bloodied, cut and covered in dirt, looking much like Rodney and Ashina. His eyes were closed, but he responded to her touch. "Never gonna underestimate you again," he said hoarsely. "Thanks."

She put her forehead to his and held it there for a long moment. When she pulled away, she looked deep into his eyes and asked, "How are you?"

"Better now." He paused when he saw Ashina standing behind her. He smiled and said, "Hey. I'm glad you're alright."

Ashina didn't say anything in reply. She just leaned against Teyla's back as if she had done it a hundred times before, and Teyla reached back to take her hand.

Ronon glanced up at Rodney, then asked, "McKay? You okay?"

Teyla paused, bending down to pick up Ashina again when she reached up toward Teyla. Rodney's voice held its usual ring of drama as he answered, "Yeah, as long as you don't puke again!"

Rodney stood at a distance with one hand on his bad leg and the other on the makeshift crutch, then he reached out with a pointed finger and said indignantly, "You dropped me."

Ronon grunted, then sat up a little straighter. "Didn't want you to crash into the wall with me."

McKay looked incredulous. "You could have warned me!"

"No time," Ronon said as he got to his feet, and pulled at the remnant of rope still tied around his waist. Taking a knife from his belt, he cut the rope away, then stopped. "Sheppard?"

Teyla shook her head. "We have not found him yet."

Ronon started looking around. "Sheppard!" he shouted, his voice echoing in the recesses of the cavern.

Teyla nuzzled Ashina's head under her chin as she moved away from Ronon, searching the rubble. When Ronon received no answer, she put a hand to Ashina's back and called out as loudly as she could, "John? Can you hear me?"

The trio of adults shared a worried look, then spread out, each searching in a different direction. Teyla's concern grew the longer she didn't get a response and still couldn't see him. "John, please answer me!"

She gasped when she caught sight of a form at the far end of the rubble directly opposite her. There was more light shining at that end of the cavern, enough that she didn't needed her flashlight to see him.

"John!" she shouted as she picked up her pace. Without turning back, she called to the others. "He is over here!"

In her own way, Ashina helped by holding on tightly to Teyla's tac vest with her good hand, allowing Teyla to go a little faster. At least for a little while. The runoff from the rain made a steady spout of mud and water streaming down from the opening above, slowing her progress, because it stood between her and John.

"I am afraid we are going to get wetter, little one," Teyla said as she stopped.

She set Ashina on the ground as she unzipped and removed her tac vest, then her jacket. The jacket was waterproof and perhaps it would give the child a little warmth. As she wrapped the jacket around Ashina's shoulders, she knelt down and said, "I know you are wet and cold and in pain, Ashina, but everything will be fine soon and you will be back with your mother and father. This should help warm you up a little until then."

The bottom edge of Teyla's jacket went just below Ashina's knees. Teyla replaced her tac vest and tried not to shiver in the cold, wet air.

"Okay," she said as she picked Ashina up again. "Here we go." She folded herself over Ashina as much as possible and plunged on through the stream of falling water.

After they passed through, Teyla shook the water from her hair before starting again. Ashina shifted, trying to repeat Teyla's move, then she flinched, drawing her injured arm closer to her body, as if the movement had caused her pain.

She began to cry and Teyla tucked her head under her chin and shushed her gently. "I know you are miserable, Ashina, but we must continue."

Ashina's crying didn't stop, but it did grow more quiet. Teyla broke the temporary silence as she called John's name again. "John, can you hear me?"

She'd just started forward, but stopped when she heard Rodney shout, "Where is he?"

She glanced back, pausing for a moment as she tried to find Rodney in the darkness. The light from above was now a hindrance, blinding her to what was beyond the light, and the echoes in the cavern didn't help. She licked her lips, turning back in John's direction. "There, at the far end of the cavern," she answered as she pointed, "Be careful of the waterfall. It makes the footing uneven and slippery."

"As if I needed more trouble in that area," Rodney muttered.

Teyla couldn't hold back any longer and rushed forward, calling, "John, please answer!"

"Is that him?" Ashina asked, pointing toward John and looking at Teyla.

Teyla nodded, focusing on the treacherous terrain. It seemed like an eternity, but in reality it was only a minute for her to reach his side. John still hadn't moved. He was curled up on his left side with his back to her, his right arm flayed out behind him. She stopped, putting Ashina on the ground. She reached forward with one hand, then hesitated as she had a sudden fear of finding him dead.

Ashina's presence became more pronounced as she leaned against Teyla's leg, as if to comfort Teyla. Ronon arrived at their side without a word and moved forward where Teyla could not and touched John's right wrist for a pulse as it lay haphazardly behind him.

After a moment, Ronon gave Teyla a toothy grin and nodded. She let out a sigh of relief, then reached down to see for herself. Her fingers lingered at the base of John's throat. His pulse was fast, but steady and she sighed again, suddenly able to breathe again.

"John?" she said softly.

Ronon stepped across John and knelt on the other side of him while Rodney and Ashina remained behind Teyla. Ronon carefully began to move away the rock and dirt covering John. John still hadn't moved except to breathe.

Teyla took the opportunity to start checking for injuries as Rodney stammered in the background. "He's alive? I mean, of course, he's alive, I can see him breathing now, but he doesn't look good."

Teyla tuned him out as she continued to work. Her fingers swept over the left side of his rib cage, and John grimaced, arching slightly as if to move away from her and moaned softly. The movement encouraged her, because it meant he was at least semiconscious. "John? Can you hear me? It is Teyla."

Ashina moved her position to behind Teyla's left arm, leaning gently against her as she stretched for a better view. There was another moan from John, a little louder this time and his eyelids fluttered.

"Teyla?" she heard Sheppard rasp as he squinted at her. He blinked a few times, then slowly asked, "You okay?"

She smiled at him, squeezing his hand. "Yes, I am fine."

"The girl?"

"Yes, Ashina is also fine."

"Good," he said with a sigh.

Ronon removed the last of the stones around Sheppard, and together with Teyla's help, they guided John onto his back, carefully supporting his neck as they moved him. John didn't say anything, but his breath hitched with the movement.

After a moment, he relaxed. He started to say something, but then his hands shifted to cover his ears. "Damn," he whispered as he curled onto his side again.

"John?" she said, leaning closer to him.

His mouth opened, then he bit down on his lower lip. Teyla caught Ronon's worried glance, then she put her hand to rest on John's cheek. "What is it, John?"

"Is he okay?" Ashina asked in a loud whisper as she ducked around Teyla's side.

Rodney shushed her quickly with very little patience, "Be quiet."

Teyla gave Rodney a sharp glare, but he didn't seem to notice as he asked the same thing Ashina had been shushed for, "Is he okay?"

Shaking her head, she turned back to John as he closed his eyes, his breathing rapid as he struggled to control his pain. "That damned buzzing noise is a whole lot worse now."

"Tell me about it," McKay muttered. Teyla glanced back at Rodney and Rodney nodded. "Lucky us, we must be much closer to the source down here – whatever that is."

Teyla brushed back Sheppard's hair from his forehead. John let his hands drop away from his ears, but he kept his eyes closed for another moment. When he opened them, his eyes worked hard to focus and he asked, "Ronon? McKay? You guys okay?"

Ronon grinned and nodded. McKay pointed at Ronon and said with irritation, "He dropped me. Broke my kneecap, thank you very kindly."

Ronon hugged his injured arm close to his chest, still grinning. "Not on purpose."

Rodney didn't back down. "Yes, it was... you said so yourself."

Ronon shook his head. "Remind me next time to drop you on your head, that way you won't get hurt at all."

That response made Sheppard chuckle, then he put a hand to his ribs and said, "Ouch. Gotta remember not to do that."

Teyla leaned closer, looking deep into his eyes to see if his pupils were equal and reactive. He seemed to know what she was doing and why, because he kept his eyes open for her. Satisfied by what she saw, she pulled away and he asked, "Am I gonna live, Doc?"

Teyla smiled. "So, it would seem. Where are you hurt?"

He closed his eyes and started to move, then hissed as his hand went to cover his ribs again. "Just my ribs," he said, his hand carefully cradling the area. "I hit the wall pretty hard."

Teyla moved his hand away and felt the area carefully. "You may have cracked some ribs on the left side," she said as she straightened her shoulders.

"Great," Sheppard muttered, then seemed to push away his discomfort, and said, "Well, we're alive and that's all that matters."

She patted John on the shoulder. "Agreed. You are all very lucky to have survived this incident."

"We aren't out of it yet," McKay groused as he rubbed his forehead.

"Think positively, Rodney," Sheppard said with his eyes closed again. "We'll make it through this. Tell you what, to prove that I'm right, I'll buy you a beer when we get home."

"A beer? You'll owe me a whole damned case before this nightmare is over, mark my words."

John smiled, then noticed Ashina standing behind Teyla. "Well, hi, Ashina."

Ashina nodded. John gave her a big smile, as if they weren't injured and trapped in an underground cavern. "Good to see you again. I don't suppose you have any of those great tasting keba cookies with you, do you?"

As he talked to Ashina, Teyla took a deep breath and let it out slowly as her gaze swept over the people standing around her. They were barely recognizable because of the mud and water. They were alive – a little worse for wear – but alive.

"It is going to be okay," she thought, then realized she'd said the words aloud.

Sheppard didn't hesitate, he just nodded. Somehow, Sheppard's certainty helped calm the tension in Teyla's body... but she didn't relax completely. They still had to get out of the cavern.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Teyla was still kneeling beside John when Major Lorne's voice crackled over the radio, surprising both her and John. She noticed Rodney and Ronon didn't react, but then she remembered they were both without radios – Rodney had given his to Ashina and Ronon's went to Methet.

The pain in John's face softened a little as Lorne said, "Colonel Sheppard, this is Major Lorne, please respond."

Teyla couldn't help but smile herself in relief that help had arrived. She tapped her radio and said, "Major Lorne, it is good to hear your voice."

"And it's good to hear yours, too. What's your situation?"

Teyla put a hand on John's shoulder. "Colonel Sheppard is injured, to what extent I do not know, so are Ronon and Dr. McKay."

"I'm okay," John said as he started to sit up and she stopped him.

"Do not move until the medical team from Atlantis checks you out," she said firmly.

"They aren't down here yet," John said, his voice growing stronger, even defiant, and the Ancestors' blessing must have been upon him, because he even looked more alert.

He raised his head. "Lorne?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Watch your step up there. There's all kinds of instabilities in the ground. Keep everyone back until Zelenka can do a thorough scan. Get down here as soon as you can, but make sure things are secure before you attempt it. I don't want any repeat disastrous performances."

"Yes, sir. I'll radio you when we are in position. Do you need anything?"

Teyla spoke up, "Blankets, a medical kit and water."

Lorne said, "No problem."

The major gave a quick order to one of his men, then said, "It will be down to you in just a minute, along with something to snack on while you wait. We're still transporting equipment and personnel to our location, and it's raining cats and dogs up here. It's going to take some time to get set up, so you better get comfy. Is there anything else you need?"

John looked at the others, then said, "No, we're good til you get here. Just stay in radio contact with updates as they occur. If we need anything, we'll give you a yell. Sheppard out."

He clicked off his radio and started to get up. Teyla placed a hand on John's arm, stopping him. "John, please remain still."

She gave him a stern glare when he made a move to get up again. He lifted his hands in appeasement. "Look, Teyla, I'm just fine, just banged up a little. A few cracked ribs won't kill me. Honest, there's nothing seriously wrong."

"That you know of. You were unconscious."

He shook his head, his defiance gaining more momentum. "It was only a matter of a few minutes."

Teyla frowned. "You were still unconscious."

John put both hands out in front of him. "Admittedly, I was groggy for a bit, but I'm awake now. Come on, you know I've been hurt enough to know when it's bad or not. I'm just banged up."

Lorne's voice came over the radio. This time, Teyla adjusted the setting on her radio to broadcast the signal aloud, so that everyone could hear the conversation. "Sorry to bother you again, sir, but I've got more bad news. Zelenka says those instabilities in the ground now include the whole area below the cliff face, which means your position is now possibly in greater jeopardy."

Rodney gestured with a hand. "Tell them about the signal I detected... "

John nodded. "McKay detected a high frequency signal that seems to tie in with the instabilities in the ground and it might have something to do with the ATA gene, so watch yourself. Have Zelenka check into that, maybe pull Keller in on it, too, and get back to us."

"Will do, sir."

John put his right hand over his ribs and let out a guarded breath. "I think we've been through the worst of it. Now, it's a matter of waiting for you."

"Yes, sir. If you will stand clear of the opening, we'll throw the packages with the med kit and supplies over the edge."

Teyla said, "I will go to retrieve the packs after they throw it down to us. I am better able to move around than the rest of you. I should not be away long."

Ashina looked up at her with a sudden hurt expression. At first, Teyla thought it was Ashina's arm causing her pain, but then Teyla realized her error and patted Ashina on the back as she added, "I meant to say Ashina and I will retrieve the packages."

She glanced at Ronon and Rodney as she spoke, gesturing with her head for them to stay with John, then she stood and started to move away with Ashina at her side.

She hadn't taken more than two steps when John grimaced and got to his knees. "We'll follow you, Teyla. That corner is the safest area in this place. You heard Lorne, the instabilities in the ground up top are worsening. The whole canopy above us could come crashing down. We've got to move and move now."

Teyla sighed. "Very well, but go slow."

With the injuries the three of them had, they had no choice but to go slow. In fact, it took them a little while to stand and begin to follow them. As they did, Teyla and Ashina followed along the cavern wall this time to avoid going through the cascading waterfall they'd passed through before and Teyla wondered just how hard it was raining up above to produce so much runoff so quickly.

Teyla held Ashina's hand as they walked in silence, but Ashina's hand was ice cold and she was trembling. When Teyla looked down at her, she found her sobbing quietly. Teyla knelt down to Ashina's level and asked softly, "What is the matter?"

"My arm hurts... and I want my mamma," she whispered as she held her left arm close to her body, then rubbed her eye with her other hand. "It's been a really long time since Mamma said you were coming to get me. Can't we just climb out now?"

The helpless look in Ashina's deep blue eyes pierced Teyla's heart. Teyla put her arms around the girl and drew her close. Again, she realized how cold Ashina's skin was. They needed more than blankets to warm everyone up, but that would have to wait until they were rescued.

"No, I am afraid climbing out is not an option for us, but we will be out of here soon enough."

Teyla eyed the way her jacket went around Ashina's shoulders like a cape and wished it was heavier.

Ashina shook her head. "I just want my mamma..." she whimpered.

"Perhaps we can call her on the radio." Teyla tapped her headset and said, "Major Lorne?"

"Yes, Teyla," he said, responding right away.

"Would it be possible to speak to Methet, the girl's mother?"

"Let me see where she is," Lorne said, "Hold on."

"Let us walk while we wait to talk to your mother," Teyla said as she stood, placing her hand on Ashina's shoulder.

Ashina stayed by Teyla's side as they continued along the cavern wall to a point where Teyla could easily see anything coming through the opening above. Lorne came back on the radio. "Sorry, Teyla, but the mother's tied up. I'll have her call you when she's done."

Ashina's lower lip began to tremble as Teyla said, "Thank you, Major."

As Teyla finished speaking, Ashina rested her head on Teyla's leg, still trembling from the cold. Teyla paused, then moved them to a nearby rock formation to sit while they waited. After they got situated, Teyla hugged Ashina close to her, hoping her body heat would help warm her.

She ran her fingers over Ashina's forehead, brushing her matted blonde locks away from her face, then paused to look into the girl's eyes again. "How is your arm?"

Ashina looked down at the oversized jacket and the arm hidden underneath it. "It still hurts."

Teyla rubbed a hand across Ashina's back, then leaned down to catch Ashina's eye. "May I see your arm?" she asked.

Ashina nodded and raised the arm carefully with her other hand. Teyla bent closer to examine it, carefully pulling up the wet sleeve of Ashina's shirt. Her little wrist was already dark with bruises and swollen with a huge knot just above the wrist joint.

"This may hurt a little," Teyla said softly, then began to palpate the area, starting at Ashina's elbow, then moving down toward the wrist. When she got to the swollen knot, Ashina gasped, and Teyla drew her hands away quickly.

She helped Ashina move her arm back under the jacket, then leaned over, touching her head to Ashina's. "It looks like you have broken your wrist, little one, but at least it is not a bad break. You will need a splint and a sling to keep your arm from moving too much, and that should be in the med kit. It should be here soon."

Ashina glanced up at her, her eyes filled with tears and she said again, "I just want my mamma."

"I know," Teyla murmured as she hugged her, then something caught Teyla's eye. Something white, which was completely out of place amidst the dirt, mud and broken lumber. It extended out from under some debris and she got up to look at it more closely. When she picked it up, she turned and smiled broadly at Ashina, then held out what she'd found.

Ashina's expression lit up as she stood and took her doll into her arms, squeezing the muddy thing in an extended bear hug. "Soho, I thought I lost you!" Ashina exclaimed and then hugged it again as she practically danced in joy.

Teyla patted her on the shoulder and stood in time to see John. Ronon was on his right and Rodney was just behind his left as they approached, still about ten feet away from them. Rodney muttered, "It's not easy climbing over this rubble, you know, especially with a broken knee cap."

In a tone John reserved only for Rodney, he said, "I amgoing as slow as I can without stopping."

John moved stiffly with his right hand tightly holding his ribs, as if to limit movement there. Ronon had used his belt for a makeshift sling to immobilize his injured shoulder and Rodney limped along with his misshapen crutch. What a group they made... but Teyla wouldn't trade them for anything.

Rodney put out a hand when John staggered slightly on the uneven rock, but pulled away when he saw John wasn't going to fall, then he pointed a finger at John.

"Listen, you might feel up to being Colonel Speed Racer already, but my engine is still misfiring, so go slower, damn it."

"As usual," John said with a smirk.

Rodney sputtered indignantly.

Ronon sighed and shook his head. "Just let me help steady you, Sheppard, so that McKay will relax a little."

John smirked again. "You do realize it's McKay you're talking about here, Ronon. Relaxed is not a natural state for him – " John stopped mid-sentence, then let out a long whistle. "Well, look at what we have here."

Teyla glanced to where he was looking and came to a halt, too. There was an entrance several feet away that was cut into that wall of the cavern they were following. She was amazed she hadn't seen it before, but then things had been happening at a pretty fast clip and her attention had been directed elsewhere.

"Sir, we are ready to send down the supplies in two packages. Zelenka suggests you go as far to the north as you can in the cavern. That will be the safest point."

"Way ahead of you, Major," John said. Waving the others toward him, he said, "You can deliver the packages any time."

"Roger that, sir. It's on its way," Lorne said.

Sure enough, two large plastic containers came sailing over the edge and landed in the center of the cavern amidst all the rock and rubble. As if frightened by the appearance, Ashina pressed herself into Teyla's side, and repeated, "I want my mamma."

Ronon caught Teyla's eye and said, "I'll get the containers. You just keep the girl happy."

"And quiet," Rodney muttered under his breath. When he caught Teyla glaring at him, he extended both hands in a dramatic shrug.

Ronon took off after it without another word. Ashina started to cry again and Teyla rocked her slowly. The girl seemed so tired. If she stopped for more than a moment or two, Teyla was sure she would drop right off to sleep.

"Coming through," Rodney said as he pushed his way between Teyla and John on his way to the facility's entrance, stopping in front of the door controls.

As Rodney looked at the door's setup, John peered over Rodney's shoulder. "It looks Ancient-y to me."

McKay rolled his eyes. "Don't get too technical." He sighed. "The entry system has Ancient characteristics, but it's not entirely Ancient technology."

"So it's Ancient-y?"

Rodney just shook his head and muttered, "Ancient-y... that word would never be accepted in a game of Scrabble."

John smiled and said, "I'll take that as a yes."

John tapped his radio and said, "Major, we've just found an entrance to what looks to be an Ancient facility. We're going to check it out."

Lorne's voice was surprised as he said, "An Ancient facility? On this planet?"

"Yeah, I know, it wasn't in the travel brochure," John drawled in a sarcastic tone.

Lorne said, "Well, sir, meaning no disrespect, but shouldn't you just sit tight until we get down there? It won't be that long. An hour tops."

"Who knows, Major, we might find a faster, easier way to get out of here," John replied. "We'll be fine."

"Yes, sir," Lorne said, not sounding happy with the situation, but he accepted it, then he cleared his throat, and said, "Colonel, Dr. Keller has arrived and wants to talk to you."

A moment later, Keller's voice came over the radio. "Colonel Sheppard?"

"Yes, Doctor," John said as he moved closer to the new entrance they'd found.

"I need a rundown on the injuries for you and your team."

John placed his hands on his hips. "All things considered, we were pretty lucky. We're a little battered, but everyone's up and breathing for the moment. Our safety is a more immediate concern."

"You all would have to be extremely lucky to survive that fall without some injury. Dr. Zelenka said that you fell twenty feet to the floor of the cavern."

Teyla spoke up as she slowly paced the area, holding Ashina in her arms, patting the child on the back as she held her close, "Yes, they were, Jennifer. I have briefly examined them and I do not think there are any life-threatening injuries, but I cannot be sure."

Keller paused, then said, "Very well. Keep movement to a minimum and contact me if there is any change."

John nodded. "We'll get back to you as soon as we can."

John turned toward Rodney, noticing he was frowning at the door, deep in thought. "What's wrong?"

Rodney waved his hand up and down in front of the door controls without result, then rubbed a hand over his face. John stepped closer and repeated Rodney's attempt to open the door, and the door still didn't open. Rodney tapped a dirty finger on his chin as he stared at the entry controls. "Weird – this isn't your typical Ancient entry setup."

"You said that already."

John paused as more ground up top crashed down into the center of the cavern. When it went silent again, he scratched at the back of his neck. "Well, Rodney, can you open it or not? It's getting a little crowded down here with what's coming down from above."

Rodney's demeanor shifted with John's question, as if deeply insulted. "Is the Pope Catholic? Of course, I can open it. My question is, should I? We know nothing of this facility. It's not even mentioned in the Ancient database regarding this planet. And it's got more security protocols than the usual."

John took a deep breath, then paused when the movement pained him. "With the distinct possibility that the ceiling could come crashing down on us, I'd say having a safer place to retreat to would be the preferred option."

Rodney nodded in agreement. "True."

John tapped his radio again. "Lorne, is Zelenka with you?"

"Yes, sir."

John watched Rodney work as he said, "Zelenka, have someone check the Ancient database regarding this planet for any type of outposts or facilities. They should have it referenced somewhere."

Rodney leaned closer to John and said in a louder voice, "Radek, calibrate the sensors to compensate for the bedrock, too. Something's flukey there. It might be the mineral composition that masks the sensor readings in this area so completely. It's almost like they didn't want the place to be found. It's probably the reason why we never picked up on it before."

Ashina squirmed in Teyla's arms. She appeared to be fighting off sleep and she wanted to keep moving. Teyla put her on the ground beside her. Ashina hugged Soho for a moment, and then took a few steps away from Teyla.

"Stay close," Teyla reminded her.

Rodney still looked reluctant to work on the door controls and Teyla couldn't blame him. "John, perhaps we should wait."

John shook his head. "If I have to listen to that high-pitched buzzing for another hour, I'll go insane. At least if we are inside, we can try to turn off the damned thing."

Teyla didn't argue with him further. Whatever was behind that signal was causing her friends a great deal of discomfort. Ronon had come to stand behind Rodney, the large duffel bags containing their supplies still slung over his good shoulder.

"Lorne?" John asked after a moment.

"Yes, sir?"

"We'll be on fifteen minute check-ins until further notice. And feel free to contact us if you find out anything interesting on your end."

"Understood. You guys be careful down there."

"We're always careful, Major... it's just that sometimes fate doesn't cooperate with us. Sheppard out."

Ashina now stood beside Rodney, watching him work as she held her doll under the arm with the broken wrist and the radio in her good hand. Rodney nearly jumped when he realized Ashina was at his side, but didn't say anything. Ashina just continued to stare at him, which only made Rodney more uncomfortable.

He glanced at Teyla for direction. She raised an eyebrow to convey to Rodney that he was on his own. With a frown, he glanced at Ashina and said, "I, um, need to get back to work here."

"You hurt your leg, Dr. McKay?" she asked, pointing to his wrapped knee, then stared at the way he was leaning over to reach the door's control systems.

He nodded, looking back at the door controls. "Obviously," he said, distracted as his gaze concentrated on the door's control crystals.

Ashina took another step closer and Rodney stopped his work again as Ashina had apparently ventured too far into his personal space. She carefully slipped the radio into her pocket, then took Soho from underneath her arm and held out it out towards Rodney and said, "Soho can make you feel better. She helped my arm. Maybe she can help your leg."

Rodney's frown deepened as he shook his head. "Thanks, but no. I'm a little too busy working here to stop right now."

Ashina tried one more time to hand Rodney her doll, but Rodney shook his head. "Let Dojo there keep you safe and sound. I'll manage on my own."

"Soho," Ashina corrected him, then went on to say, "You can hold her later if you want... she really likes it when you brush her hair with her special brush my daddy made for me."

Ashina pulled the doll back toward her again, but frowned at the fact Rodney hadn't taken it from her. She looked up at Teyla and fidgeted for a moment. Apparently, she was still not ready to end the conversation, because then she said, "That's okay if you don't want to hold her right now."

She chewed on her lip for a moment. "My mamma sings to me when I don't feel good."

Without looking at her, Rodney said, "That's nice."

"She could sing to you, too – "

Rodney's head turned toward her and he stared at her for a moment, as if he didn't know what to say next, then murmured, "Well, that's very nice of you to offer Slomo – Sojo – or whatever you call it – "

"It's So-ho," Ashina corrected him. "And she's a girl doll."

Rodney paused just long enough for Teyla to know he was counting to ten inside his head. "It's very nice of you to offer Soho and your mother's services, but as I said before, I can't right now, I have work to do."

"Mamma could sing to you on the radio box."

Teyla started to put out a hand as she said, "Ashina – " but when Rodney saw Ashina had put away Soho and now held his radio in her hand, he started to reach toward it.

"Oh, hey, that's my radio. I'd like it back, please. I'll be needing it."

Ashina took a step back and shook her head firmly. "No, it's my radio. My mamma talks to me on it."

Teyla knew Rodney well enough to know he wanted to snatch the radio away from Ashina's fingers, but didn't. Instead, he fought to maintain at least the pretense of good manners as he said quietly, "Listen, it was my radio first – "

John came up to them. He looked at Ashina and winked at her. "Keep the radio, Ashina. I can share mine with him."

Teyla felt Ashina moved back against her leg as John came closer to them. The girl eyed John uneasily. He flashed her one of his crooked smiles and said, "How are you doing, Ashina?"

The lines in Ashina's expression deepened and she slunk closer to Teyla.

She studied him for a moment, then said, "You're the boss of them." She pointed in the direction of Rodney and Ronon, eliciting a snort from Rodney. "They call you Shep-pard, but Teyla calls you John."

John ignored Rodney and smiled as he nodded. "You can call me John or Sheppard, too, if you want."

Her extended forefinger turned in his direction. "You're bleeding," she said in a quiet little voice, gesturing toward a cut above John's left eye.

John brushed at the blood, seeming annoyed by its presence. "Yeah, I know."

"Does it hurt?" she asked, her gaze still focused on him.

John looked down at the way she held her arm. "Not much. Bet your arm hurts more."

She nodded. He knelt down beside her, but she only moved closer against Teyla. John noticed and backed up a little. He met her gaze again and said, "I didn't mean to scare you. Don't worry, we'll take care of you until we can get you back to your mother. Promise."

Ashina peered at him, as if assessing him, then she set down the radio and took her doll in hand. "Teyla found my doll for me."

"She did?" John said, glancing up at her, then back at the doll. "Well, that's good news. She's a very pretty doll. What's her name?"

"Soho." She extended Soho out for John's inspection. It was basically a rag doll whose arms and legs could move. It had brown hair and a sweet smile. Ashina added, "My daddy says Soho keeps bad things away from me."

"That's nice. I could really use a doll like that," John murmured as he touched the doll. To Teyla, he sounded quite sincere.

He pulled back his hand and Ashina tucked the doll under her left armpit, then reached down to pick up the radio with her right hand as if she were going to show him the radio next, but then Radek spoke up, interrupting their conversation.

"Rodney? I see the problem with the sensors you mentioned. The signal is difficult to read. I agree, something, perhaps the mineral makeup of the rock, is creating some type of interference. We can work around that."

"Excuse me for a moment, Ashina," John said as he took a slow breath, holding his ribs as he stood and looked at the door again.

Rodney paused from his work at the door controls. "Let me know when you complete the analysis of that high frequency signal. My gut says it's important in more ways than one."

"Understood... " Zelenka paused, then continued after a moment, "Our people are setting up a more extensive grid, using the lattice work concept over the area. It should be able to support our weight when we go to pull you out.

"Just watch out for rampaging miraffes," Rodney muttered bitterly. "That was so not my fault."

Radek didn't seem to hear the comment, because he continued, "We should have a team down to help you within the next hour."

John said, "We'll be looking forward to it. Who knows? We might have a few more surprises for you by the time you get down here. Sheppard out."

Rodney took a deep breath, did something to the door controls, then paused. The facility's door whooshed open a moment later, surprising those around Rodney. Rodney turned back toward John with a smug expression. "See, I told you I could – "

Before he could finish, Rodney dropped to the ground, his hands over his ears. Teyla stepped forward to help Rodney, then saw John had collapsed, too.

"Ronon," she said quickly, pointing for him to go to Rodney while she went to John's side.

"John, what is it? What is happening?" she asked as she grabbed hold of his arms.

John just shook his head and didn't answer – probably, couldn't answer because he was in too much pain.

Teyla looked at Rodney. Rodney was also writhing on the floor, but at least he was able to speak as he stammered, "It's – it's that damned buzzing. It's deafening now."

There was a small hand at Teyla's shoulder and she glanced over to see Ashina standing there, her eyes wide with fear and worry. "Is Shep-pard okay?" she asked with a hushed voice.

Teyla forced a smile. "Yes, but right now, I need to help him. Stay behind me. I know this is scary, but you are a brave little girl and you've got Soho to protect you while I help Colonel Sheppard."

Teyla's attention turned away from Ashina and back to John. She glanced over at Ronon when he started to stand. "I'll close the door," Ronon said, "That should quiet things down again."

Rodney grabbed Ronon's hand to stop him before he got away. "I've got it in manual override. Help me over there and I'll try to close it."

Ronon and Rodney staggered over to the door with Ronon practically carrying Rodney. Once they got there, Rodney started shifting crystals around inside the opened control panel. Though he cringed every few seconds, he continued to work, but it was without his usual nonstop monologue.

Teyla had maintained her hold of John's arms and could feel his tightly knotted muscles. Whatever it was, it was causing him a great deal of pain. Ashina darted forward from her place behind Teyla and tucked Soho under John's arm.

"He needs Soho," she said quickly before she moved away again. Teyla stared down at John, and then at the doll, and bit her lip in frustration. John needed help, that was for certain, but from who or what, Teyla had no idea.

After a few moments, John let his hands slip away from his ears, though the skin around his eyes was still crinkled up in lines of misery.

"See, I told you Soho would help," Ashina said with a smile.

Teyla wasn't sure if John had heard Ashina or if he'd even known Ashina had put the doll beside him. He took a deep breath, and managed to roll to one side, then got up to his knees, swaying with the movement. His hand was pressed against his ribs and his face was contorted with pain.

"Wait, John," Teyla said, putting a hand on John's shoulder to stop him.

"Can't," he said, then glanced at Rodney. "It's... an... alarm," he rasped.

Rodney nodded. "I know, but I can't get this damned door to close."

"Go... inside," John said, hunched over, still on his knees and breathing hard, his hands now over his ears. "Look for... a shut off switch... inside."

"Wait," Rodney said as he clawed at his backpack. "Radek, what is the status of the high frequency signal? Is the frequency constant or intermittent and has it remained at the same intensity?"

Ronon took the pack from him and opened it, then held it out for Rodney. Rodney wasted no time in pulling out his tablet computer. He connected it to the door controls, and then punched keys in what appeared to be a very haphazard manner.

Zelenka said, "It seems to be increasing in strength. Let me see – "

Without warning, John fell forward from his knees with his hands out on the floor in front of him, gasping loudly. At the same time, Rodney groaned. At first, Teyla thought the buzzing sound had worsened, increasing their discomfort, but then she saw Rodney smile with relief. Ronon managed to grab Rodney before he slid to the ground like a limp noodle.

"I thought that might work," Rodney managed to rasp out as he somehow held onto his computer and his crutch, then his face was scrunched up in pain. "Ow, ow, ow."

Teyla heard the relief present in her own voice as she told Radek, "Rodney did it. He silenced the alarm."

Zelenka's voice was emphatic as he said, "No, Rodney, you may have quieted the buzzing sound, but the alarm is still going and its frequency is continuing to rise."

Before Teyla could say anything, Rodney stood, using Ronon to help him stow away his computer and its connections, then he held onto his crutch for support. "Have to go inside to find the source," he said, breathing heavily.

Teyla glanced at him, then watched John closely, wishing he wasn't nearly so pale. John had pushed himself upright again, but he was still on his knees with Teyla holding onto him tightly.

Radek said, "Okay, but be careful. In the meanwhile, I'll put a team on searching the database for possible Ancient references for this world... still, it will take some time to do such a search."

"The sooner, the better," John said breathlessly as Teyla helped him to his feet. Ashina came around, watching him closely as she picked up her doll from where it had fallen to the ground, then she asked quietly, "Do you need Soho again?"

John smiled down at her, despite the pain he was in, and said, "Not right now, Sweetie, but thanks..." He glanced up at Teyla and added, "Thanks to both of you. Come on, maybe we can help Rodney inside."

He started forward, but Teyla put a hand out to stop him. "Let Ronon take point. You are still far too weak. You will stay back here with Ashina and myself."

John made a face, but didn't argue. Instead, he glanced down at Ashina by his side and he winked at her. With Ronon just ahead of him, Rodney entered the facility. As soon as he stepped inside, the facility's lights brightened.

"Hold up," Ronon said as he put a hand out in Rodney's direction to survey the area around the entryway.

Finally, he nodded and gestured with his weapon in hand for Rodney to follow him inside. That was when Teyla noticed John also had his gun drawn. "It's clear," Ronon said quietly, but she observed John didn't move to holster his weapon.

Rodney looked around nervously, his hand fluttering around the knot on his forehead probing it without really touching it, and said in a raspy tone, "You may have your weapon with you, Ronon, but the rest of us are without our P90s. Trust me, a couple of handguns aren't worth jack shit against the kind of trouble we encounter on a semi-regular basis. Of course, when there are high frequency signals that can fry a man's brains in a matter of minutes, who needs more weapons?"

Rodney was almost out of air by the time he finished speaking. Normally, it amused Teyla whenever Rodney spoke so quickly, but not today.

Ronon merely grunted and waved him on. "You show me what's making that signal, McKay, and I'll blast it for you."

"Of course, you will," Rodney said as he went ahead. "Very reassuring."

John started out behind them, staggering a little at first, but he seemed to be recovering from the episode fairly quickly. Teyla glanced at Ashina, seeing her rub her eyes with fatigue now that the adrenaline in her system was passing. She bent down to pick up the girl and Ashina didn't resist.

"Why don't I carry you and Soho for a moment?" Teyla asked softly. "You were very brave while I was busy."

"Soho keeps the bad stuff away..." Ashina murmured, then leaned her head against Teyla, nestling between Teyla's shoulder and neck, her voice sounding sleepy as she said, "I want my mamma, Teyla. Soho does, too."

"I know, little one, I know. Soon."

Teyla patted her back as she fell into step at the rear of the procession. Almost as if an afterthought, Teyla bent to pick up the two duffel bags with their supplies. She didn't say a word as she followed them inside, wishing for no more trouble, but she wasn't naive enough to believe too much in wishes.

**oOoOoOoOo**

**Chapter 4**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"Don't touch anything," was the first thing Rodney said as they entered the facility. He was surprised to hear the level of weakness in his voice. He hobbled with an awkward gait using his crutch and Ronon for support. While the fact his knee wasn't hurting as much was remotely encouraging, it still throbbed like a son-of-a-bitch.

It didn't help that Rodney's head also pounded with a vengeance. Thank God that damned ear-piercing buzz of an alarm had been silenced, but the thought of its subsonic vibrations still ongoing was enough to make his stomach rumble with queasiness. He swallowed hard to make it stop, then he looked around.

At first glance, the place reminded him of the inside of an airplane hanger – with mostly wide open spaces above, and without walls to separate the expanse into any sort of rooms or cubicles.

Despite all the overhead space, there was a decidedly cluttered feel to the area, something very un-Ancient-like, at least to Rodney's way of thinking. There were pieces of machinery hanging from chains attached to the ceiling. Some of them were connected to the consoles with colored cables of all sizes. There was netting that held an assortment of metallic odds and ends. Other cables were connected to bizarrely-shaped equipment hidden beneath shrouds sitting on the floor, serving some unknown purpose. Beyond the immediate area, there were the shadowy outlines of machinery and shelving that went as far as the eye could see.

Rodney carefully stepped around a circular mirror about a half meter long and a backup generator near the entrance just to be sure he didn't hang his crutch up on anything.

The lighting was different – darker and more diffuse than most typical Ancient installations, and the air was stale. It also didn't help that it was cold inside, colder than it had been out in the cavern – more supporting evidence that the facility's environmental controls were off in some way.

Rodney hobbled toward what appeared to be the main console, and heard Ronon following closely behind him, no doubt with his blaster poised and ready to annihilate the first thing that hinted of danger. For reasons probably related to being bullied often as a child, Rodney found immeasurable strength in Ronon's steadfast presence.

Rodney stopped and squinted at the dimness surrounding them and thought, _'Increase illumination by one quarter – and increase the ambient temperature by thirty percent.'_

Immediately, the lighting adjusted to his command, but what he saw with the added brightness didn't help him much. He stopped at the main console and swept off a layer of cobwebs, then laid his hand upon it, relaxing a little when the equipment sprang to life with his touch.

"So this is Ancient tech?" Ronon asked quietly as he watched.

Rodney nodded, then frowned and said, "Well, mostly."

He didn't bother to explain further. He didn't have time for explanations. For all he knew, that high frequency signal was already reducing his brain to liquid, probably beyond all hope of recovery. He brought up the computer's operating system, which was Ancient-based, but the main menu had characteristics he'd never seen before.

He was studying a particularly interesting subsystem menu when Sheppard stepped up behind him. "You find the shut off switch yet?" he asked, his voice rough and breathless.

"Did you see a big sign with an arrow that says _'Shut Off Switch Here' _when you came in, because I certainly didn't," Rodney sneered. "Seriously, keep up with the program. I just walked in here. Who knows where the controls for something like that would be... well, hello. That looks promising."

He set his tablet computer on the console and retrieved some cables from his backpack. As he began connecting his system to the main console, Sheppard leaned closer. "Well?"

Rodney only shook his head. He was in no mood to play the _'are we there yet' _game with John Sheppard. When Rodney didn't answer him, John started pacing behind him, bent slightly forward, holding his ribs, looking grim and pasty pale, or maybe it was the mud on his face that made him seem more pale. Rodney watched him from the corner of one eye as he continued to work, then he exchanged a worried glance with Ronon, knowing Ronon was also concerned about John.

At least Sheppard had put away his handgun. Rodney noticed Ronon hadn't holstered his weapon, so the big guy was still primed for danger. Taking a deep breath, Rodney forced all worry from his mind and concentrated on turning off that damned alarm once and for all – then he stopped, his fingers hovering mid-air.

"Oh, crap," he muttered.

"What?" Sheppard asked, moving back beside Rodney.

Rodney shook his head instead of answering him, making his fingers fly over the keyboard as he frantically worked. His voice was amazingly calm as he said, "Contact Radek. I need to talk to him. Now."

He saw Ronon shift uneasily as Sheppard tapped his radio set in his tac vest, so that Rodney could join in on the conversation . "Lorne, put Zelenka on the line," he said, urgency creeping into his voice.

As they waited for Radek, John put a hand on the console and said in a low voice, "What is it, McKay?"

Rodney bit his lip, unable to believe what he was seeing. Wasn't it enough to survive their plummet into the cavern, then to have to deal with the killer high frequency signal? How in the hell could there be another hurdle to jump through now? It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair at all.

"McKay?" Sheppard asked.

"There's – " Rodney blinked a few times, his headache increasing with his anxiety level, and then shook his head slightly. He regretted the shaking motion, because itt made his stomach roll.

Putting a hand to his forehead, he was about to say more when Radek's voice came over the radio. "Yes, Rodney?"

Rodney looked at Sheppard as he said in a rush, "There's a countdown on this damned security system! It looks like it's been active for a very long time. When I overrode the door controls, it must have bumped it up to another level. If I don't shut it down in time – " he paused, unconsciously rubbing a hand across his forehead as his gaze darted from console to console.

Sheppard leaned closer, trying to catch Rodney's eye. "What? What happens if you don't shut it down in time?"

"Well, I don't know for sure, but things like boom and bang spring to mind. Whatever it is, I don't think it will be good."

There was some ominous beeping from another console about ten meters away. Sheppard's head popped up and he shared a worried glance with Rodney. He handed Rodney his radio. "Keep working. I'll check it out," Sheppard said as he walked away.

Rodney glanced nervously at Sheppard as he left, but then Radek asked him a question and he turned his attention back to dealing with the emergency at hand. He prayed he could keep them from blowing up, or from suffering whatever terrible demise came as a consequence of not disabling the security system in time.

**oOoOoOoOo**

John saw Teyla with Ashina in her arms when he turned to go over to the console that had just started beeping. Teyla had taken Ashina down in that direction in an effort to comfort the child while Rodney worked. Teyla turned toward him and met him halfway, still rocking Ashina gently as she moved. Even from a distance, John could see Ashina's eyelids were heavy with sleep.

"Is she okay?" he asked in a hushed tone.

She nodded. "I believe she has worn herself out with all the excitement," Teyla said softly.

He continued on toward the console and Teyla followed him, saying, "She needs to change into dry clothes, but then that goes for all of us."

Teyla's expression grew more concerned as she looked at the console. "What is wrong?"

John grunted. "What isn't?"

He stopped at the beeping console and put a hand on it to bring up more of its systems. In the background, he could hear McKay and Radek talking rapidly at the main console, spewing all kinds of technobabble that John was only half able to follow. His gaze skimmed over the monitors, but stopped when he saw the rapidly approaching completion of a countdown.

"Uh, McKay, I think you better get over here!" he said loudly, then shot Teyla a sorry glance when Ashina's eyes opened.

Ronon and McKay turned in unison, then McKay cursed under his breath as he started hobbling over to them. "What? What now? The arrival of a Wraith hive ship? An exploding stargate? Or the need to save the galaxy singlehandedly from harm yet once again?"

John licked his lips nervously as McKay approached. "Not quite. I may not understand a lot of what's on this console, but I know enough to say that's not good."

McKay's wide eyes skimmed over the same instruments and he brought the radio to his lips. "Zelenka, do you still read the high frequency pulse?"

There was a pause and then Radek said, "Yes. It's still increasing in intensity."

"Damn it!" McKay said loudly as he slammed a fist on the console, knocking his wooden crutch to the floor. The noise roused Ashina and she began to cry. McKay shot her a sharp look, and said, "Teyla, do... _something_ about her, I already have enough trouble concentrating as it is!"

He looked at Ronon who had moved closer. Rodney glared at him, too, and barked, "Make yourself useful. Get my tablet computer that I left at the other console. Just disconnect the cables from the console." He sighed before turning back to the computer. He yelled without looking. "And hurry, damn it!"

"Geez, McKay," John muttered. "Take it down a notch or two."

Rodney pointed a finger at him. "Lecture me later about being nice when I don't have the responsibility of saving everyone hanging over my head!"

Rodney got back on the radio with Radek as Ronon returned with the tablet computer and Rodney's backpack, then Rodney connected his computer to the console.

Frustrated with nothing to do, John stood at Rodney's side and listened to Rodney and Radek speak in half sentences, one following the other without having to finish saying the words. Finally, Rodney said, "Okay, I'm going to try it, but it will probably jam our radio transmissions for a few minutes. I'll call you back when it's done."

Behind him, John heard Teyla shushed Ashina gently when she started murmuring, "I want my mamma" again. Teyla started walking away, John assumed, because she didn't want to bother McKay. It didn't take much before Ashina's eyelids began to droop closed again. Teyla stopped walking, but not rocking, and glanced back at John, asking in a hushed tone, "John, could you help me for a moment?"

He turned toward her, but couldn't resist another look back at Rodney's frenetic movements. He bit his lip, torn between helping McKay or Teyla. In the end, he figured there wasn't much he could do to help Rodney right then, except to help keep Ashina quiet.

Teyla gestured with her head toward a work bench that was stacked with tarps and towels about twenty feet away from Rodney and the beeping console. She looked at the work bench, and then at John. "Perhaps, we could make a bed for Ashina to sleep on, away from everything going on right now?"

John nodded and went to the work bench. After a few moments, there was a makeshift bed of dusty tarps covered with a not too dirty lab coat on the bench. He helped Teyla lay Ashina upon it. Ashina was so deeply asleep, she didn't move as Teyla removed her jacket from Ashina's shoulders, then placed it over her as they got her settled.

"I can feel the air warming up," Teyla said. "That is good for all of us. Perhaps we can find something that will help to dry our clothes when things slow down a bit."

John nodded in agreement, then brushed his thumb over Ashina's brow when she started to mumble again in her sleep. "She's so cold," he said with concern.

Teyla sighed, glancing up to meet John's gaze. "Can you turn up the heat a little more? And get the duffel bags with the med kit and blankets? They are over by Rodney and Ronon."

John nodded as he glanced up and thought, _Increase room temperature by twenty percent. _

He looked at her and said, "I'll be right back with the duffel bags."

He went for the duffel bags. They were heavier than he thought, but then he remembered all that they contained. He paused by McKay and Ronon on his return trip. "How's it going?" he asked quickly.

McKay shook his head. "Not good."

Rodney didn't even glance over at him as he answered, then John looked at Ronon. Ronon merely shrugged in response. "Keep at it," John said as he walked away.

"As if I'd stop suddenly to take a break," Rodney muttered.

John went back to Teyla and knelt. He opened the first duffel bag and pulled out a blanket for Ashina, then he got the med kit. "Here you go," he said, handing it off to Teyla while stowing the rest of the supplies.

Teyla opened the med kit's zipper and immediately began sifting through it until she found a splint and arm sling. With a sigh, Teyla held them up for John to see.

The splint was, of course, adult-sized and way too big for Ashina. John looked around and found two small pieces of flat metal about six inches long, an inch wide and an eighth-inch thick and brought them to Teyla as he said, "Get a roll of gauze. We'll make our own splint."

She nodded and soon they had a splint proportional for a four year-old. Ashina was so deeply under, she only grimaced and murmured a quiet moan when Teyla tied the splint in place. John spread another one of the blankets over Ashina. Teyla put a hand over his and said, "Thank you."

"Stay with her," he said, then quickly moved away to return to McKay and Ronon, but as he straightened, he grimaced and brought his hand to his throbbing ribs. He paused as he took a careful breath.

"John?" Teyla asked as she turned toward him.

"I'm good," he said with a forced smile. "I'm going to see what I can do to help McKay."

"Be careful and good luck," she said and turned to Ashina, humming softly as she brushed her finger across Ashina's brow.

When John turned toward McKay, he saw Rodney shaking his head frantically, then he started typing in a frenzy. "It's asking me for the security password. How the hell do I figure out what the freaking password is in the next ten seconds?"

John rushed forward. "Ten seconds?"

"Thereabouts."

"Is there a way to get around it?" Ronon asked.

"Um – we'll see?"

John was halfway to them and said, "Keep trying – "

Everyone froze as a squawking alarm began and the facility's lighting became blaring bright. John squinted against the brightness, then something bright red swept across the periphery of his vision and he dove aside just as a laser beam swiped past where he'd been standing, burning its way deep into the machine part that had been on the shelving behind him.

Gritting his teeth together to ignore the explosive pain the jarring movement caused his ribs, John shouted, "Everyone, get down!"

Ronon pulled McKay down as a beam hit the console, searing a quarter-inch hole into its most distant edge, narrowly missing Rodney's head. A quick glance at Teyla revealed she'd picked up Ashina and they were crowded below another work bench. Teyla had very few options available to her, pinned in like she was. Of course, the abrupt motion awakened Ashina and she was crying in earnest.

John popped his head out from behind a large spindle of clear fiberoptic cable he was hiding behind. He glanced around to see where the laser beams were coming from, then said, "I don't think it liked your password, Rodney!"

McKay wiped a hand over his face and sighed. "I'm afraid we've jumped up to the next security level!"

John peeked out at McKay and said, "The next level? How many damned levels are there?"

McKay's eyes bulged as he sputtered. "Do I look omnipotent to you? I may be a genius, but there are some things I don't know, okay? I just don't know! You see, I only just arrived in this hell hole five minutes ago and things have been a bit brisk since then!"

John peered out once more before moving, just to be on the safe side, then slid across the aisle to take refuge beside a large empty two door cabinet. He smiled with relief once he arrived there safely, then said, "Excuses, McKay! I bet Radek would have had things under control by now!"

"Oh, that's hitting below the belt, even for you! What is it with you and Ronon? Just for the record, goading me with derisive taunts does _not _improve our situation one bit! Give me a minute!"

Rodney looked at Ronon. "Can you reach my computer?" Ronon nodded and groped around the top of the console with one hand until he found it, then pulled it down and handed it to McKay.

John peeked out again. The shots from the laser cannons seemed to have stopped. He frowned. Maybe the security system was just waiting for one of them to make a wrong move.

There was a metal pipe sitting on a shelf beside him; John picked it up and flung it into the air high across the room. Within a split second, it was hit by three separate laser beams and fell to the ground in a multitude of pieces.

"Ah, crap. That's not good," John told himself.

He got to his knees, peering out to check on Teyla and Ashina. Ashina was becoming more rambunctious in her escalating tantrum. John cursed under his breath. He had to do something to help them. He grabbed and threw a large football-shaped device into the air far above the consoles. It suffered a similar fate as the pipe, but before the remains hit the floor, there was a loud explosion as Ronon blasted one of the laser cannons to bits.

McKay peeked out from under the console. "What the hell are you doing? Throwing practice tosses for skeet shooting?"

"No," John said patiently, "just pinpointing the location of the laser cannons so Ronon can take them out."

"Oh," McKay said as he picked up some scrap metal. "Let me try."

Ronon shook his head, stilling McKay's movement. "Don't."

"And why not?" Rodney asked indignantly.

"Leave the laser cannons to me and Sheppard, McKay," Ronon said gruffly. "You need to focus on shutting down this security system."

Rodney let the metal piece in his hand fall to the ground and sighed. "I never get to do any of the fun stuff." Then he gaped at Ronon. "And just how am I supposed to shut down the security system? I can't even touch keys on the console, so I'm no good there, and as hard as it is to believe, I'm not able to move objects with the power of my brilliant mind."

Ronon bopped him on the back of his head. "No, but you're staring at the underbelly of the beast. Can't you do something to disable it from down there?"

"Don't hit me in the head, damn it! Head injury, remember?" He put his hand to his head for a moment, looking at the console above him. "Oh, sure, sure, you go ahead and get the easy job of blasting laser turrets while I have to claw my way through – "

Ronon shoved his backpack into McKay's hands and then moved away from him. "Do it!" he said, then moved to a point where John could no longer see him.

John glanced over at McKay and said, "I'm going to see if I can help Teyla."

Rodney nodded and pulled out a small toolkit as he scowled at the bottom of the console. John wiped the palms of his hands against his BDUs and peeked over at Teyla. "I'm on my way, Teyla," he said.

Teyla didn't respond, but Ashina's shrill cries did.

"Crap," John said as the lasers started shooting randomly. "Ronon, how many laser turrets do you count?"

"You mean how many are still active?"

"Yeah."

"A half dozen or so."

Rodney groaned. "That's a bit of overkill, don't you think – ugh, pardon the pun."

"We'll get them," Ronon said with quiet confidence.

John peeked out again, still worried about Teyla's situation. "Teyla?"

Teyla's voice was strained as she replied, "Yes, John."

"We've got to get you to better cover."

"Agreed."

He looked around and saw the heavy metal cabinet beside him. He nudged the doors open with his handgun and saw it was mostly empty, except for some removable shelves. "Do you think you can make it over to this cabinet? It's empty and fairly heavy duty. I think it could withstand the laser fire short term."

There was a pause as Teyla assessed the situation. "Yes, but we will need a distraction."

Their conversation was interrupted by a couple laser beams tracking something Ronon had tossed into the air. It was followed by a few more blasts from Ronon's weapon, successfully taking out another turret.

John took the opportunity to pull out one of the shelves and threw it into the air like a boomerang, then without looking up to see it hit by the beams, he pulled out the other two shelves, dropping them to the ground, then he darted back behind it. Ronon's weapon fired several times and another turret was destroyed.

"Good shooting, Ronon! Keep it up," John shouted. "I've got to get Teyla to better cover. McKay, you can help, too. When I say go, throw everything you can into the air to keep those laser cannons busy. I need to keep them distracted long enough for Teyla to reach this empty cabinet."

"Go for it," Ronon said.

"Ready when you are," Rodney called out.

"Go!" John shouted as he put a hand on a nearby cart, and pushed it flying down one aisle, then he pulled his gun and fired at the things hanging in the air, setting some of them into motion. More than a few items started fluttering to the ground.

The laser cannons went crazy, firing almost constantly as they blasted at their airborne targets. John stepped out in a crouch and waved Teyla on. "Okay, now! Run for it!"

She stood with Ashina squirming in her arms and started to run. She was almost to him when she was hit in the right thigh by a laser and went down, hitting her head on the nearby shelving as she fell.

John stepped forward, forcing himself to ignore the deadly flashes of laser fire going on above him. He was worried about Teyla, but even more worried about Ashina. Teyla had fallen on top of her, but the girl was squirming her way to get out from under her. If she got free, she would be an uncontrollable moving target.

"Teyla's down," he yelled without looking back at Ronon and Rodney. "Keep the lasers busy for as long as you can!"

The facility echoed with the sound of weapons fire and exploding things. Lightweight debris rained down around John from a net that was partially severed above him as he reached Teyla and Ashina. He held his breath when he saw Ashina draw herself out from under Teyla and get to her feet.

He reached forward and caught her right before she could move away. Scooping her up in his arms, he said, "Can't go anywhere just yet, little lady."

Securing the shrieking child under one arm, he reached down and grabbed the back of Teyla's tac vest, gritting his teeth together against the protests of his injured ribs, and started pulling her toward the empty cabinet. It took all the strength he had, but he managed to get Teyla inside the cabinet, then stepped inside himself, drawing the two metal doors closed.

"Okay, we're clear!" he yelled, trying to control his rapid breathing.

He wasn't sure if they heard him because of Ashina's constant screams. He tried to comfort her, but she was an animated whirl of kicking arms and legs and was in no mood to be comforted. "Okay, listen, just calm down – "

He groaned when the metal component of Ashina's arm splint landed solidly on his injured ribs. "Son of a – " he gasped and spent the next several seconds trying to catch his breath, but luckily he didn't lose consciousness or his hold on her.

"Sheppard!"

He heard his name being called. There was a certain element of panic and concern in the voice calling for him, and he figured it wasn't the first time McKay had shouted at him. John wasn't sure if anyone could hear him over the ruckus Ashina was creating, but he tried anyway. "Yeah, Rodney, we made it!"

"What? I couldn't understand you over the kid's screaming. For Pete's sake, how can anyone howl like that for extended periods of time? The vocal cords have to give out sooner or later."

John took a deep breath and shouted as loudly as he could, "We're okay!"

He reached down, angling in the cabinet to check Teyla's pulse, but it was almost impossible to do with the whirlwind in his other arm. He managed to get a pulse. It was faster than he liked, but Teyla's breathing was steady. It looked like she was going to be okay.

As he straightened again, he heard Rodney shout, "That's good, because Ronon was hit, too!"

John straightened with alarm, then had to tighten his grip on Ashina. Losing Ronon at this point might shift the odds against them. "Is he okay?"

"He says he is! What about Teyla?"

"She's down."

Ashina's wails became ear-piercing at that particular moment and he put his face close to hers and said, "Ashina, calm down! I know you want your mother! Here, let's talk to her." He started to tap his radio on his tac vest and realized he'd left his radio with McKay.

Cursing under his breath, he tried to think of something he could say that might help calm the girl, but finally all he could say in his best military drill sergeant voice was, "Ashina, stop screaming!"

The commanding tone he used did nothing to stop her. Ashina was already hysterical and way beyond the point of hearing him, so he stopped trying to make her listen. "Okay, fine, cry."

He turned toward McKay's voice. "So Ronon's okay?"

"I'm fine," Ronon shouted. "Just singed my arm."

"Yeah, right!" McKay shot back.

John bit his lip. That description could involve a whole range of injury on the Ronon Dex scale, but he decided he couldn't worry about it at the moment.

"How's Teyla?" Ronon asked.

John looked down at Teyla's unmoving form and nudged her, saying, "Teyla? Can you hear me?"

Then he stopped. If Teyla could have heard him, she would have already been up and helping him to deal with Ashina. "She's unconscious."

He licked his lips. "How many laser turrets are left?"

Ronon replied, "I think there's only two left, but I'm in a bad position to get them."

"Then that means you have to disable the security system, McKay."

"Yeah, well, I've been trying to do that and all I've gotten for my trouble is a rather severe burn on my left forefinger."

John used that drill sergeant tone again as he said, "It's up to you, Rodney. Just disable the damned thing."

There was some indecipherable cursing, then McKay said, "I'm working on it!"

Ashina arched back in her struggles at that moment, and the metal splint struck John's ribs again, making white sparklies appear at the edge of his vision. He gasped for air, and had a hard time finding any. An instant later, Ashina kicked backward. Her foot connected with one of the cabinet's doors and knocked it wide open before John could catch it.

In the next moment, a laser beam shot out, piercing Ashina's lower abdomen just below her left rib cage. The shot went through her and caught John in the fleshy side of his right hip.

Fire erupted in his hip as Ashina went limp. He struggled to keep from dropping the girl on Teyla with one arm while the other groped around to find the cabinet door and pull it closed again. He heard McKay and Ronon both calling his name, but all he could manage was to hug the girl tightly as he slumped against the side of the cabinet and slowly slid to the floor, then darkness closed his eyes.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

"Crap, crap, crap," Rodney said as he ducked below the console again, determined to disable that damned security system. The burn on his left forefinger felt like he was dipping it in fire, but he didn't bother to stop and look at it. He didn't have that kind of time to spare.

Ronon was off somewhere trying to line up a better angle on one of the remaining laser cannons. That left Rodney alone to work – he had to check on Sheppard, Teyla and the girl one way or another. Damn, his blood pressure certainly didn't need to deal with this kind of stress!

Rodney paused for a moment. There was something very strange about the innards of this console – there were redundancies and layers of bypasses that left his brain spinning, redundancies that went far beyond the Ancient norm. It was almost as if there were multiple security systems layered on top of each other, but were also independent of each other. It was enough to give a brilliant astrophysicist one hell of a headache.

He began to mutter aloud. "Once again, it's up to me to swoop in like Superman and save the day. All without lunch. So much for Shiska stew – who knows if I'll ever eat again! Trapped down here like we are, breakfast may have been my last meal. Crap, why didn't I eat something more substantial than Wheaties? What kind of breakfast is that anyway? The breakfast of champions, my ass!"

He stopped when he suddenly saw his way into the heart of the monster. Maybe there was a way he could yet be a champion. He didn't pause as he reconfigured the crystal alignment and closed his eyes, making a silent prayer to the powers that be.

"Ronon, throw something into the air and see what happens!" he shouted.

"What do you think I've been doing for the last half hour?" Ronon's voice sounded distant.

_Where the hell had he taken off to? _

"Just do it!"

Ronon tossed something into the air and Rodney peeked out from under the console to follow its trajectory. Nothing happened – literally nothing, because the object fell to the floor unscathed.

"Do it again," Rodney said, his voice strangely hushed by excitement.

Ronon obeyed, silently this time.

"Yes!" Rodney said with relish.

He started scooting out, preparing to leave the safety of the computer console, then fidgeted nervously and asked, "Do it a third time, just to be safe."

After the third object Ronon threw next clattered to the floor intact, Ronon surprised Rodney by appearing beside him. He patted Rodney on the leg and said, "You did it!"

"Oh, thank God," Rodney said with a sigh, rubbing a grimy hand over his face, then he scooted out from under the console.

He gritted his teeth together as he tried to ignore the flare of pain caused by his movement, but he didn't waste time dwelling on his discomfort – they had to find out how Teyla and Sheppard were doing.

Ronon was way ahead of him as he called, "Sheppard? Teyla?"

There was no answer. The kid wasn't even crying anymore. The silence was unnerving. Ronon met Rodney's wide-eyed gaze and paused long enough to give Rodney a hand up. Once Rodney had his crutch under his arm, he waved Ronon away. "Go, go, go – see how they're doing!"

Ronon jogged the short distance down the aisle and threw open the cabinet doors, then froze for a terribly long moment. Rodney tried to read the situation from Ronon's stoic expression, but all he could discern was things had just gone from bad to worse.

Ronon frowned, then swallowed, and moved forward. By the time Rodney arrived, Ronon was checking for the pulse and respiration on all three of the victims in the cabinet.

"How are they?" Rodney asked in a hushed voice.

"Alive," Ronon replied, his tone telling Rodney little more than nothing.

As Rodney watched, Ronon started to move the unconscious bodies. Rodney didn't know Ronon was even capable of such gentleness when he picked up Ashina and carefully laid her on the floor beside the cabinet – as if she was made of the most fragile porcelain. Rodney's heart was in his throat as he stared at her. Damn, she was tiny, like a doll – and just as unmoving.

He held his breath as Ronon checked her pulse and breathing again. Ronon stopped and leaned closer, picking up the fabric of Ashina's shirt and fingered a hole that should not have been there. He lifted the hem up to reveal an angry red wound just below her left rib cage.

"Ah, geez," Rodney said as he saw the wound.

Ronon rolled Ashina gently onto her side and frowned. "Looks like it went straight through. The good news is I don't think it hit anything vital."

Rodney stammered, turning to Ronon in confusion. "But – but there's no blood."

Ronon didn't look up as he continued to work. "Because lasers cauterize as they burn through."

Rodney blinked and nodded several times. "Oh, right, right, yes, of course, they do. I knew that. What's wrong with me?"

Ronon didn't answer him. Rodney glanced down and saw Ashina's doll lying face down several feet away. Teyla must have dropped it in the madness of the moment. Thinking Ashina would want her doll when she woke up, he limped over, bent down and picked it up. He rubbed at the goose egg on his forehead that protested the movement with the back of the hand that held the doll.

Ronon straightened and looked up at him, clearly disturbed. Rodney wasn't sure if it was concern for the injured, or frustration from their current situation, then Rodney sighed, deciding it was probably a mixture of both.

Rodney limped toward him and asked, "What about Sheppard and Teyla?"

Ronon started to move toward Sheppard, but stopped when Teyla began to stir. She moaned softly, then gasped in pain. Ronon put a hand to her shoulder and said, "Try not to move too much. Where are you hit?"

Teyla opened her eyes, confusion slowing her reaction time.

"Rodney? Ronon?" she whispered, then her breath hitched and her hand went to her thigh.

Ronon's tone was soft as he moved her hand away and looked at her wound, pulling his knife to cut open her pants leg. "You were hit by laser fire. Looks like it got you good."

He lifted her leg carefully to examine both sides of her thigh, making Teyla grimace, then he set her leg back down and placed his hand on her shoulder. "You'll be fine. Bet it hurts like hell, though. Just stay still while I check Sheppard."

She shook her head. "No, Ashina, I had her in my arms – "

Ronon used the hand against her shoulder to keep her down and gestured with his head to the spot beside Teyla. "The girl's right here."

"What has happened to her?" Teyla asked, her voice trembling, as she reached forward to touch Ashina's forehead.

"She was hit, just like you and Sheppard."

Teyla's eyes widened as she took note of John slumped beside her. "How are they?" she asked in a rush.

Ronon turned to Sheppard and rolled him onto his left side as he looked at the scorched material of Sheppard's BDUs. He glanced back and forth before returning Sheppard to his prone position.

"Looks like the shot he took didn't penetrate all the way through like yours and Ashina's. Still, it looks like it hit him pretty hard, probably combined with everything else he's been through since the fall." He glanced up at Rodney. "We need Keller."

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Well, that ain't happening any time soon. Not unless someone – "

"McKay," Ronon warned as he helped Teyla adjust her position. "Just get on the radio."

Rodney glanced back at the console where Sheppard's radio lay undisturbed. "Right. Hey, the radio interference should be subsiding by now – "

Just then, Radek's voice spilled out into the large expanse over the radio. "Rodney? Colonel Sheppard, please respond!"

Rodney moved back to the console as quickly as he could with his makeshift crutch and bad knee, but it seemed like it took him an eternity to get there. He set Ashina's doll on the console and relayed the events, then asked for Jennifer.

"Dr. Keller is on her way."

"Good." Rodney's gaze darted over the console. Very few monitors were still functioning after he had fried the system, but there was something he saw on one screen that was very disturbing. "No, no, no, do not do this to me!"

Zelenka asked, "What is it?"

"Seriously! I mean it! How much worse can this situation possibly get?" Rodney asked, then there was a faraway sound of machinery moving – heavy, dangerous machinery.

Radek was talking, asking him a question, but Rodney just ignored him. He blinked and looked around them, because he had a very bad feeling – right before the entrance to the facility slammed shut with a heavy metal door that looked so embedded into the floor it was never going to be moved again.

Rodney's mouth gaped open for a moment, then he stuck his hands out from his sides and shouted, "What the hell is this place?"

**oOoOoOoOo**

"Good job, Ronon," Jennifer Keller said. "You make a great field medic."

Ronon grunted, then Teyla nodded in agreement as she said, "Yes, he does, Jennifer. The IVs Ronon started will undoubtedly benefit both John and Ashina." She smiled at him. "Ronon, you may have missed your true calling."

Ronon rubbed the back of his hand across his mouth and shook his head as he stared down at the IV liquid dripping into the back of Sheppard's left hand, then over at Ashina's. "Give me something I can blast or fight. I'm next to useless right now."

Jennifer said, "Come on, Ronon, we all know they will recover much faster because of what you just did and I now have a better sense of their medical conditions due to your examinations. Don't discount your usefulness here."

Ronon sighed and rolled back from his kneeling position onto the balls of his feet. "You need to be here doing this, Jennifer, not me."

"If only I could, Ronon," Jennifer answered and he believed her. Even with all the danger they'd faced, he knew she would endure it if it meant she could be of more help to her patients.

When Jennifer spoke next, her words were rushed. "Oops, Dr. Zelenka wants to talk to Rodney and there isn't anything more you need from me at the moment. I'll check back with you in an hour, but call me if you have any questions, okay?"

Ronon nodded as Jennifer ended her part of the transmission, and Radek began talking to McKay. The things they were talking about was all gibberish to him and he tuned out their conversation almost immediately. He glanced over at Teyla and noticed Teyla tapping her headset to turn it off, too. Apparently, she wasn't any more interested in listening to McKay and Zelenka argue than he was, though their bickering still echoed over McKay's open radio as he worked at the main computer console several feet away.

Ronon scratched at the back of his neck in frustration. He was a warrior and not much of a healer, despite almost being married to one on Sateda. Sure, he knew how to tend to injuries out of necessity, but that was field medicine – patch 'em up enough to get moving again. And offering comfort wasn't his strong suit.

He sat on the floor between Sheppard and Teyla. Even though, the temperature of the room was now quite comfortable, Ronon had still tucked in the edge of the blanket he'd thrown over Sheppard to help keep him warm. He glanced across at Teyla as she cradled Ashina in her arms with the blanket over the girl doing double duty by providing warmth for both of them.

They sat in silence for a long moment, then he caught Teyla staring at Sheppard as she rubbed Ashina's shoulder, guilt evident in her every move.

"It wasn't your fault," Ronon said finally, putting a hand out to brush his fingers over the child's pale forehead.

"I told her I would keep her safe. I told her mother the same thing. I failed them both, as I did John," she said. Her lower lip trembled as she spoke and she blinked a few times to ward off the tears threatening to slip down her cheeks, then she straightened her shoulders. "I will not fail them again."

Ronon leaned forward to catch Teyla's eye, and then when he had it, he held on with everything he had. "Don't be so hard on yourself. We'll be out of here soon. Trust Jennifer to get Ashina back up and running around again in no time flat."

Teyla shook her head. "Ashina should have awakened by now. She may have more severe injuries than we initially suspected."

Ronon leaned back against the bank of computers behind them. "Sheppard's still out, too. Jennifer said this was to be expected after everything they've been through. Now, stop fretting so much. How's the leg?"

Teyla's expression flashed angry for a moment as if she didn't want to think about herself, then she shrugged slightly. "It is manageable," she said finally.

Ronon shook his head and got to his knees as he reached into the medical kit. He came back with some analgesics, antibiotics and water. "Here. Take these and don't argue with me about it."

She glared at him and he merely pointed to her hand resting on Ashina's arm. It was trembling. She pulled her hand away, pursing her lips, then shook her head, still in denial. When she looked back up at him, her gaze held that familiar resolve and calm that was so Teyla.

Her words were carefully spoken, "I need to do something more to help – perhaps assist Rodney in some way."

Ronon nodded. "I was thinking the same thing. Unfortunately, it's up to McKay and the guys from Atlantis to figure a way to get us out. This is all way beyond our ability to help much. And I've been over this place three times and still can't see any other way out, so all we can do at the moment is sit and wait."

Pouring on the charm, he winked at her, then reached out with the tablets and water again. "Here, take these."

She extended a hand – not to take the medication, but to touch his arm just below where the laser had scored a two-inch seam in the upper part of his left arm. "That looks painful."

Ronon looked down at her hand resting on his arm and shook his head. "Not really."

She gave him _that look_ only Teyla could pull off... the one that always made him feel like he was five years old and in serious trouble. Her gaze remained steadfast.

After an uncomfortable length of time, he conceded, "Okay, it hurts some, but I'll be fine. It's nothing like the wounds you guys have."

Teyla didn't give up. "And your shoulder?"

Ronon looked up toward the ceiling and sighed. Teyla wouldn't stop until she had made him acknowledge the pain that he felt. She said it was to keep him human. To him, it was pointless. It just showcased his weaknesses – and that was the way he looked at them – weaknesses that kept him from fully helping his friends when they needed him the most.

She was still waiting for him to say something, so he said, "Okay, so it feels like it's been dislocated and put back into place, okay? Look, Teyla, I've been through stuff like this before and I always bounce back. I know I'll be okay. I'm more worried about the rest of you."

Determination steeled itself in her gaze as she replied, "Place your worry where it is due, because I shall be fine as well, but I will feel better after these two have been properly taken care of in the infirmary in Atlantis."

Ronon nodded and felt his expression tighten as he glanced at Sheppard and the girl, then he shook his head. "You know, you're always on my case to accept my weaknesses. Maybe you should follow some of your own advice?" he said, locking onto her gaze. "Come on, just take this stuff, so I can shut up about it."

She smiled and closed her eyes. Finally, she looked up at him and nodded. A moment later, she had swallowed the tablets. He put his hand out to her forehead and brushed her bangs away as he said softly, "You're still too pale to suit me."

"I will be fine," she said with a sigh, then she glanced over to Rodney when he barked at Zelenka over his radio. "Rodney sounds especially distressed. Has he taken anything yet?"

Ronon's gaze slid over to McKay and he shook his head. "I tried earlier, and he nearly bit my head off. Said he had too much to do to fool with things like that."

Teyla's eyes widened at his comment. "He is worse off than I thought."

Ronon nodded. "I know... I'll try again in a minute."

When he glanced back, he saw Teyla eyeing Ashina and Sheppard with worry. "I do not like it that they still have not roused. John did not move in the slightest when you examined his hip injury."

Ronon nodded, then glanced down at Sheppard, remembering the extent of Sheppard's injuries, at least what he could tell by sight alone. When he'd pulled off Sheppard's tac vest with Teyla's assistance, they glimpsed bruises darkening all over him under his shirt, especially an ugly assortment coloring the entire left side of his rib cage, some areas more deeply than others. There could be internal injuries, too, but he doubted it.

And he wasn't too concerned about the laser injury to Sheppard's hip, either. It would definitely cause him pain when he tried to walk, and would probably affect his gait, but like Ronon's own laser injury, it wasn't life-threatening.

Ronon checked Sheppard's pulse again, relieved to find it had returned to the normal range, slow and steady. Ronon had taken everyone's vital signs – well, except McKay and he refused to cooperate. Knowing how determined McKay was to get them free, Ronon didn't push it. He figured he'd give McKay a little more time, then he'd make the man rest, one way or another.

McKay cursed loudly as he talked to Zelenka, his voice continuing to rise, drawing Ronon's attention. "This operating system is a joke! It's almost impossible to navigate... wait, there's something."

Then McKay shook his head. "No, it's just another data anomaly. It's almost like the database has been deliberately scrambled. Honestly, we might as well not have an operating system at all! It's going to take a very long time to get this all sorted out. Tell me you've made some progress on your end."

Across the distance separating them from McKay and the console he was working on, Radek's voice sounded grim. "No, not really. We have eliminated things that don't work, as in using a cutting torch and explosives. Considering how we lost most of the upper canopy, along with the more extensive lattice work, shortly after you went inside, we are hesitant to use anything like C4 charges, for fear of burying the entrance to the facility completely.

"You know, I cannot believe how lucky you were to have gone inside the facility when you did. A few more minutes out in the cavern and some or all of you could be dead now."

"Yes, Radek, I was just saying a moment ago to Colonel Sheppard about how lucky he was – but, wait, he couldn't hear me, because he's _unconscious!"_

"I understand your point, Rodney, really I do," Radek said quietly. He paused, then added, "But I had an idea. I started thinking of the heavy-duty boring drills we have at Atlantis. They might help and I thought perhaps we could – "

McKay closed his eyes and rubbed at his forehead. "This is no time for daydreaming, Radek! Yes, there's an assortment of drilling equipment at Atlantis, but, no, there's nothing that can handle the density of the bedrock here."

"Yes, I agree, so I thought – "

Rodney picked up his scanner, scrolling through the data it as he talked, "Just leave the thinking to me, okay? Instead of dawdling outside the door to this facility, your time might be better spent doing a data search back at Atlantis. Maybe you can find some reference to this facility that would help – "

There was a forced calmness in Zelenka's voice. "Rodney, I already have people on it."

McKay sighed deeply, slamming his scanner on the computer's console. "Then don't waste time talking to me about it – that won't get us free! So, now, I guess I'm back to cleaning up this database and I can't do that with you distracting me. Where's Lorne?"

"Merchant Mita and his people found something – "

McKay went still. "What?"

"They did not go into detail with me... Major Lorne went with them."

McKay threw a hand into the air. "Great, what are we supposed to do while Lorne goes off on a sightseeing tour? Get out our knitting needles and knit a freaking afghan? This is unbelievable!"

Zelenka's voice was infinitely patient. "Apparently, Major Lorne thought it important enough to check it out himself. Just calm yourself, Rodney. Remember your blood pressure. Perhaps you should take a break – get something to eat – "

McKay erupted into a perfect picture of frustration. "Did I say there were seriously injured people down here? How can I possibly take a break knowing that?"

Teyla placed a hand on Ronon's arm. "Go, talk to him. Make him rest."

Ronon nodded. "I'll try, but I'm not sure of anything short of stunning him will get him to stop. Not while Sheppard and Ashina look as bad as they do."

"And just how bad is that?" Sheppard murmured, bringing a hand to his right hip as he rolled onto his left side and hissed.

Ronon grinned and patted him on the forearm. "Not as bad as you looked a second ago. Just watch your IV line, I worked hard to get it in place." Ronon took a deep breath, knowing relief had to be painted across his expression. "How are you doing?"

"Ugh, let me get back to you on that," Sheppard said as he opened his eyes and blinked a few times, staring dully at the plastic tubing running into his left arm. He caught sight of Teyla and Ashina, then he tried to sit up suddenly as if to go to them.

Ronon put a hand on his arm and said, "Whoa, Sheppard, don't move so fast."

Sheppard rolled back onto his back and his head reared up, but he didn't try to move again. Instead, he glanced over at Teyla and asked, "What's the matter?"

Ronon saw something in Sheppard's expression... confusion or mired thoughts maybe. He still seemed to be pretty fuzzy and it was taking him longer than Ronon liked to see for him to start sounding like himself again. Before Ronon could reply to his question, Sheppard's breath hitched and his gaze darted around, as if his memory was clearing.

Ronon could almost see the events replaying on Sheppard's pale, bruised face, then Sheppard pointed a finger at Teyla. "The lasers. You took a hit."

Teyla nodded. "Yes, but do not worry about me," she said softly.

This time, Ronon didn't hold Sheppard back when he began to sit up, but he needed assistance, so Ronon helped Sheppard up enough to lean his back against the bank of computers behind them, even though Sheppard kept a clenched fist tightly pressed against his hip and ribs as he hissed through the discomfort of moving.

"How is she – the girl, Ashina – how is she?" Sheppard asked in a worried rush, his breathing rapid and raspy, his gaze darting from Ashina to Teyla, then Ronon, and back to Ashina again.

"She is a strong child – " Teyla started.

Sheppard shook his head, still breathing heavily. He was obviously trying to control his emotions, along with his respiration. He blinked and looked around, self-recrimination infusing his body's movements with barely restrained energy. "I – I thought I had found a secure position – "

He swallowed hard as he continued to stare at Ashina. "She – she was so scared and upset. I – I couldn't calm her down, then – "

Ronon felt for Sheppard. The man's expression revealed much more emotion than he usually displayed. The gaping wound now apparent in Sheppard's spirit seemed far worse than anything Sheppard had suffered physically. Teyla's earlier words repeated in Ronon's head. _I have failed them... _only now it was Sheppard saying them.

Sheppard's gaze stopped when he saw Ashina's doll lying beside Ashina. Sheppard pointed to it. "Ashina said that doll would protect her from bad things. Guess that didn't include lasers or fumbled-fingered lieutenant colonels."

Teyla started speaking, choosing to ignore Sheppard's self-recriminations, "Ronon has been on the radio with Dr. Keller, monitoring Ashina's condition. She is responding well to the additional fluids, as you are."

She paused, trying to catch Sheppard's eye. "It does not appear that the laser hit any vital organs. She will recover."

Sheppard closed his eyes, his breath still ragged as he took a moment to gather himself. Then it happened. Ronon could see the change the moment Sheppard shifted into commander mode, and the powerful feelings that had been so evident were pushed away to some unknown place deep inside.

Sheppard looked over at him. "What's our situation?" Though his voice still sounded a little shaky, it was without the previous surge of emotion.

Ronon responded like a good soldier and said, "McKay disabled the security system."

Sheppard smiled, his eyes full of hope and pride. "I knew he could do it."

Ronon took a deep breath and looked down at the floor. He didn't want to see that hope squelched. He glanced at Teyla, then over at McKay – anything to keep from looking at Sheppard. He could feel Sheppard's gaze boring into his skull, then came Sheppard's question, his voice low and expectant. "Wait, let me guess, there's bad news with the good?"

Ronon nodded. "Right after the security system went out, that heavy metal door over there slid into place, blocking all access from that point."

Sheppard's gaze shifted in the direction of the door, then his head went back to rest against the computer bank behind him. "So we're stuck?"

"It would appear to be the case," Teyla said.

"Wonderful."

Sheppard started to get up, looking surprised when his limbs failed to cooperate.

"What do you need?" Ronon asked, placing a hand on Sheppard's good shoulder to keep him in place.

"I need to get up." Sheppard kept pressing forward, but Ronon blocked his route.

"John, please," Teyla said, reaching out with a hand as if to stop him from a distance. "Remember your IV."

Sheppard's voice held a warning in its tone as he said, "I need to be up to reconnoiter the premises – to see what we have to work with here. Make sure we have food and shelter. You know, all those things that need to be done to ensure survival?"

"But you will not be able to walk with your hip injury," Teyla pleaded.

Ronon still blocked his path and said, "I've already done all those things, Sheppard. More than once. You've been unconscious for quite a while. Give yourself a chance to recover."

He reached into one of the duffel bags, pulling out a bottle of water and a power bar to give to him. "Lucky for us, Lorne stuck this box of power bars into the duffel bag to tide us over until they could get us out, so we've got food, along with water."

"Give that man a medal," Sheppard said honestly, then waved Ronon's offer away, "but I'm not really hungry right now."

Everyone stopped when they heard Major Lorne's voice come over the radio. "Excuse me, Dr. McKay, but has Colonel Sheppard regained consciousness yet?"

Still working at the computer console, Rodney shook his head, not even looking back at where they were resting twenty feet away and said, "No, Lorne, he hasn't – "

Sheppard raised his voice and shouted, "I am now. What's going on, Lorne?"

McKay's head whipped around, relief appearing in the form of a big smile as Lorne continued, "Just updating our situation, sir. I've got some of Mita's people, along with some of our teams, scouring the surrounding territory in hopes of finding another way in. It seems Mita's people have some old stories passed down over the generations about a hole in the ground that wasn't natural – I know it's weak, but we've got the manpower and the desire to help, so they are seeing if they can narrow down the location."

"Oh, give me a break," McKay muttered, pinching the bridge between his eyebrows.

Ronon noticed while everyone had been concentrating on the conversation, Sheppard had reached down and pulled out his IV. Cursing under his breath, Ronon reached into the med kit for a bandage. After he applied it, he met Sheppard's determined gaze and let out a long breath.

Ronon recognized that glint in Sheppard's eye. Sheppard was hellbent on getting up and no one was going to keep him down. Still not happy with the situation, Ronon helped Sheppard to his feet anyway, knowing the man wouldn't relax until he'd done a perimeter sweep himself. Ronon heard Teyla exhale sharply and didn't dare look in her direction, knowing she was probably staring daggers through the both of them.

Sheppard listed to one side in his stance as he fought to keep his balance. It took everything Ronon had not to put out a hand to help steady him. Instead, he saw something that Sheppard could use as a walking stick and gave it to him. The walking stick did its job and Sheppard looked like he had a good chance of staying upright, at least for a few minutes.

"Keep us updated, Lorne," Sheppard said breathlessly. "We'll keep working at our end. Sheppard out."

He turned to Ronon. "Let's go. McKay, keep working on the computer," he said quietly.

Ronon glanced at Teyla and McKay and felt their chiding gaze. He knew Sheppard shouldn't be up, but if the roles had been reversed, he knew nothing would keep him down either. He nodded at Sheppard and started off. One thing was for sure. Ronon felt a lot better with Sheppard back in charge of things again.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

"Teyla, I need to know how she is," Methet's voice came over the radio, and John could see Methet's anxiety was working its way deep into Teyla's heart.

Teyla licked her lips, pausing for a moment as she seemed to search for the right words. "She is resting well, Methet, and her color is better," she said softly.

John stiffened a little when Methet asked with more agitation, "Then, why hasn't she awakened yet, Teyla?"

Teyla's gaze darted down to the child in her arms. "Our physician says this is to be expected with her type of injuries, but Ashina did start to move a few minutes ago, as if she were dreaming."

"Yet, you can't wake her up."

Methet's ragged breathing could be heard, then the sound of sobbing. Teyla's expression tightened and she said, "Methet, I have Ashina in my arms. She has never been alone since she was injured. We are in constant contact with our physician. She is being well taken care of."

"I don't – I don't understand how she was hurt in the first place," she said, then sobbed again.

Standing beside Ronon, John watched as Teyla caught his gaze, then looked away. Maybe it was his own guilt talking, but to him, her telltale avoidance was as obvious as an accusation as a finger pointing straight at him. John scratched his forehead. Damn, why hadn't he gotten a better grip on the child? If he had, this conversation wouldn't be taking place at all.

Teyla brushed her fingers over Ashina's cheek. "Life has a way of creating events that are beyond our control, but I want to assure you she is in good care. I could not do more if it were my own son here in my arms." She paused. "Remember, Methet, if we had not moved into the facility when we did, there is a strong likelihood Ashina and the rest of us would be dead now, so while our current situation is disconcerting, it could have been much worse."

John took a deep breath, and shifted position while trying to keep most of his weight off his bad leg. He ignored every ache and pain that came with the movement, because he had to get moving. He had to do something to get Ashina back to her mother and proper medical attention.

He took a few limping steps forward, using the walking stick to go over to where Ronon had laid out their supplies on a work bench, forcing his right leg forward since it didn't seem to want to cooperate with process of walking. If he managed it just right, the discomfort wasn't too bad, though it could spike at times as if there was a red hot poker in his hip.

Ronon glanced up as John stopped beside him, then his gaze went to McKay. Ronon leaned closer and said, "He needs to eat. I could probably force him into it, but... "

John nodded. "Yeah, he's already had a bad enough day."

Ronon glanced around them. "I'm going to scout the area again and look more closely at what's on the shelving in the center section. There's gotta be something in here that can help."

After Ronon left, John grabbed a couple of power bars, one with a neat laser drilled hole in the middle and a bottle of water that he tucked into his tac vest. He turned to walk away, but paused when he saw McKay's radio sitting beside the supplies.

With a sad sigh, he picked it up, remembering how it had looked so much bigger in Ashina's small hand. Rodney had John's radio, so he slipped this one into his vest, then made his way to the main console. Rodney was lying underneath it as he worked in uncharacteristic silence.

John tapped his boot against Rodney's thigh. "Break time."

McKay mumbled something indiscernible.

John said, "Come on, McKay. Don't make me come down there after you."

Rodney raised his voice. "Did something happen to your hearing, along with everything else? I said I'm in the middle of something and can't stop."

"You were in the middle of something an hour ago, Rodney. Come on, your blood sugar has to be bottoming out. What are we going to do if you pass out from hypoglycemia?"

McKay scooted out from under the console and looked up. He struggled to get up, then gave in when John offered him a hand up. It took both of them to get Rodney upright and the effort left them winded and hurting. Rodney was covered in dirt and grime, but even so, John could see his pale skin underneath everything. He held out both the power bars and the bottle of water.

McKay went for the water bottle first, opening it and downing half of it in one long gulp. When he came up for air, he wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. He caught John watching him and said, "I was a little parched."

"I noticed. So, how's it going?"

McKay's expression turned dismal. "This computer system has been badly corrupted over the millennia. I've done what I can to clean it up, but it's going to take some serious time before I can get anything useful out of it."

"We'll get it. Eat a power bar."

As he handed the bar to Rodney, he noticed the burn on Rodney's finger. Rodney took the bar, then caught John's gaze. John stared at him for a long moment before he said, "You get that disabling the security system?"

Rodney nodded as he tore the power bar wrapper with his teeth and took a big bite, and began talking around it. "It was a bitch to open up."

John let out a long breath. "Better get it cleaned up."

"Later, when I'm done – "

Ronon called out, "Sheppard, McKay, over here! I've got something."

Rodney's questioning expression slid over toward John. "He wants us to go off hiking around this monstrosity _now_?" McKay asked with a sigh.

John frowned as he looked in Ronon's direction. "He wouldn't call us unless it was something important."

He handed Rodney his crutch and helped him get situated, then picked up his walking stick. Rodney stepped forward a few paces then glanced back at John as he limped along more slowly.

"Maybe you should consider using a crutch like this, instead of that walking stick," McKay said, gesturing toward his crutch, then he grunted. "Or not. I have splinters under my armpits the size of tree trunks and that will probably require extensive surgery to remove."

John just smirked and shook his head as he kept walking, increasing his pace to keep up with McKay. Soon, they were at Ronon's location. The first thing John noticed was the skeleton lying on the floor. Rodney had stopped in front of him, staring at it as if he'd never seen a body before. He was blocking John's path, so John stepped around him for a closer look of his own.

The skeleton was dressed in Ancient attire, lying on its side as if the body had fallen to the ground and never moved again. Ronon squatted beside it, rummaging through the pockets of its tunic. He came up with a long cylindrical device of some sort, about an inch thick and six inches long.

Handing it off to McKay, he kept looking, then he said, "Judging by his clothes and what's in his pockets, I'd say he was a scientist of some kind."

John nodded. "Maybe the guy who ran this place?"

"Doctor Paranoia himself? That's a scary thought," McKay said as he activated a switch on the device and a display opened up, showing an older, balding man with a salt-and-pepper goatee.

The man's deep baritone voice spoke on the recording, though he looked a little bored, or maybe he was just preoccupied, "Trial 2314 looks promising. Continuing testing. There is a need to augment the power distribution to increase efficiency. The project's defenses still seem to be hypersensitive and over-reactive. They must be attenuated in the next upgrade."

Rodney looked up at them. "Yep, must be big man himself. Let's see what's stored here," he said, his voice taking on that distracted tone it did when his interest was piqued.

There was a spark from the device and McKay dropped it, shaking his hand. "Damn, that hurt. Just what I need – another burn. My poor abused fingers."

Ronon reached over and picked up the device, handing it back to McKay. Rodney didn't look like he wanted to touch it again, but he did reluctantly, slipping it into a pocket of his tac vest without a pause.

Ronon took a deep breath as he examined the skeleton in greater detail. "There's a lot of broken bones here. Might be the cause of death."

John shared a look with Ronon before Ronon got up and moved to a second form lying on the ground a short distance away. John turned and eyed it carefully. He hadn't noticed it when they first arrived. Maybe, because it was lying in the shadows. Its black coloring didn't help spotlight it at all.

John rubbed a hand over his hip as Ronon knelt down beside the second form. The thing looked a lot like a black wet suit. A quiet voice in the back of John's head whispered a warning and he found himself saying, "Ronon, be careful," even before he realized what he was saying.

Ronon glanced up at him, slightly puzzled, then looked back down at it. The skeleton inside its folds was hard to ignore. McKay was still over at the other skeleton and he turned slowly, apparently not liking John's tone.

"What's the matter – " Rodney started to ask.

John glanced over at McKay, slightly embarrassed. Maybe the events of the day had caught up with him, causing him to overreact. He turned back toward Ronon. Ronon was reaching down to touch the black suit and John felt a sudden urge to put out a hand to stop him and say 'No, don't touch it,' but it was too late.

Ronon had already picked up the suit from the waist, which caused the skull and other bones, along with dust, to slide out of the suit's main opening at the top of the suit.

McKay made a face. "Well, that's certainly the most disgusting thing I've seen in a while."

"Why not touch it, Sheppard?" Ronon asked as he continued to examine the suit more closely.

John shrugged, but he still felt the frown on his face and the unease in his heart. "It just gave me the creeps or something."

"Perhaps it was the human remains pouring out of it?" McKay sneered with disdain.

John stepped closer. "I wonder who these people were."

Ronon stood, holding the suit with one hand as he shook it out, inciting McKay to let out a long "Ewww!", which was quickly followed by, "I so do not need to inhale somebody's dusty remains into my lungs and nasal passages, thank you very much!"

Ronon grinned, then his expression shifted as his fingers started sliding over its smooth surface. "I'm wondering what _this_ was _– _this material. It's heavy, but I don't see any seams, so how do you put the thing on?"

"Let me see it," McKay said, holding out a hand with an air of reluctance. "Not that I want to touch something that has had a rotting corpse inside of it, but it does look interesting."

John was closer to Ronon than McKay, so he forced down his own apprehension and reached out to pass it along to Rodney. With John's touch, something activated in the suit and it slipped from Ronon's fingers to wrap around John's hand, then the suit rapidly expanded up John's arm.

Stunned, John's mouth gaped open as the black material seemed to turn viscous and flow over his body, stretching itself to cover all of him, becoming a second skin almost instantly. The air went hazy as the last of the dust that had been inside the suit was flung out. There was a needle-like pain in the back of John's neck, but it was soon lost amongst all the other painful spots that came to life as the thing contracted in on John, squeezing like a boa constrictor around its prey.

John could hear Ronon and Rodney shouting things at him. The air was forced out of his lungs as the suit drew itself tighter around him. His injuries resisted the pressure and he gasped as he tried to draw in air that wouldn't come. Tears formed in his eyes as every sore spot he had was being compressed.

In a faraway sense, he could feel hands on his arms, holding him up after his legs gave out from under him and then he passed out.

**oOoOoOoOo**

"Breathe, Sheppard," Rodney implored, "Just breathe."

Rodney looked down at Ronon as Ronon held onto Sheppard's collapsed body. Ronon was down on one knee with John's head and upper body leaning against his leg as he gently tapped his hand on Sheppard's cheek.

"Sheppard? Sheppard? Can you hear me?" Ronon asked, then glanced up at Rodney. "What the hell just happened?"

"You're asking me? Damned if I know!" Rodney said as he threw his hands up into the air.

He took a quick breath, then pulled out his scanner and held it in front of Sheppard.

The seamless black suit continued to ripple and fluctuate as it adjusted its position across Sheppard's body and uniform, leaving only his head uncovered. He would have thought Sheppard was unconscious, if he wasn't trying so hard to breathe.

As they watched, the suit adapted itself to mimic the characteristics and consistency of Sheppard's clothing. It virtually became Sheppard's uniform, boots and BDUs. The sight disturbed Rodney in ways he couldn't begin to fathom.

Ronon patted John's cheek again. "I can't tell if he's conscious or not."

Rodney glanced up from his scanner and said, "I don't think he's completely out. Part of him seems to be fighting... something."

Ronon's voice was tense as he asked, "Can you get any readings off of it?"

Rodney bit his lip. "Yeah, all kinds of data – too much data, to be honest. This suit has some very complex circuitry."

"Can you get it off him?"

Rodney frowned, then shook his head. "I don't know. It doesn't look good."

Ronon pulled out his knife. "I can try to cut it off of him."

Rodney took a deep breath, held it for a moment, then shook his head. "No, without knowing more about it, we could make Sheppard's situation even worse."

Ronon practically growled. "Why didn't it react like that to me when I was holding it? Why did it respond so strongly to him?"

Rodney sighed. "We're in an Ancient facility, so I'd have to say it's probably related to the ATA gene. Crap, the same thing could have happened to me if he hadn't – if he hadn't... oh God... " Rodney's voice dropped off as he swallowed hard and stared at the hand he'd extended toward Ronon and the suit earlier.

Ronon didn't seem to notice how shaken Rodney was by that revelation, because he kept going and asked, "How do we get it off of him?"

Rodney blinked a few times and shook his head. "I've got – I've got to get more information before I can even try to wager a guess."

"I thought you had too much data."

Rodney closed his eyes, trying to rein in his emotions. "I have to analyze the data in order to know how to use it."

Ronon looked down at Sheppard and back up at Rodney. "I don't like the way he's breathing so hard."

Rodney chewed on his lip for a moment. "He's probably in pain. Look how tightly the damned thing is stretched across his body."

Ronon looked up and met Rodney's gaze. Unspoken tension sizzled between the two of the men with neither one of them wanting to give voice to the full extent of their concerns.

Ronon said, "We've got to get him back to the medical kit and the radio."

Rodney shook his head. "Just – just don't move him yet. I'm doing a scan of the suit's basic systems – " Rodney stopped and snapped his fingers, then reached into his tac vest pocket. "Wait, I've got a radio! We can call Jennifer from here."

Ronon looked up at him expectantly and said, "Well, call her."

"Right, right... " Rodney said, then stopped and shook his head again. "No, on second thought, I think you're right. Let's wait until we're back with Teyla. Jennifer will want to use supplies from the med kit. We need to move him."

Ronon looked like his patience had worn thin as he said, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, yes," Rodney said as he nodded, then paused in thought. "Well, pretty sure – look, you've got to bear with me. I'm just as freaked out by this thing as you are. Whatever we do, we have to proceed slowly. If we move blindly without thinking things through, we could just make the situation that much worse. Lay him flat on the floor for a second."

Ronon let out a hard breath of frustration, but didn't argue with him. He adjusted his hold and lowered John to the ground, then touched John's carotid artery. "His pulse is really fast. I still don't like the way he looks."

"I don't, either," Rodney said as he resumed his scan.

As the scan ran, Rodney rubbed at his forehead, the throbbing there worse now after the adrenaline rush that was still pumping through his system. Rodney looked at Sheppard, sighed again, then said, "It's like there is a tremendous demand on his system."

Ronon glanced back up at him. "From what?"

"Must I continue to repeat myself_? I. Don't. Know._"

Rodney took a deep breath and continued, "Listen, Ronon, I know it's hard to remain calm when all you want to do is help, but try to be patient. Give me a minute to analyze these readings."

Ronon took a deep breath, then leaned forward and patted Sheppard on the cheek again. "Sheppard, can you hear me?"

After a few seconds of no response, Ronon pounded a fist against the floor. "I think he's out cold now."

Rodney fiddled with his scanner, then glanced over at Sheppard. "At least he isn't gasping for air as much as he was."

"This is not good."

Rodney's eyes bulged. "Ya think?" Then he shook his head. "You've got a real gift for understatement, my friend. This is SO not good."

When Rodney looked at him, Ronon added, "He'll make it."

Rodney nodded, even though logic told him they had no clue whatsoever what Sheppard's odds of survival were, then in a place deep inside of him, he felt his determination grow stronger.

"He'll make it," Rodney said in agreement. After all, this was Sheppard they were talking about.

Ronon took Sheppard's pulse again and said, "We can't wait any longer."

Rodney sighed. "Very well, the first part of the scan is done. I guess I can do my analysis over there as easily as I can here, but move very slowly. I don't want any more sudden untoward surprises."

Rodney watched Ronon grimace as he went to pick up Sheppard. A light switch flipped on inside Rodney's head, and he remembered Ronon had also been injured over the course of the day's events.

"Ronon, wait," Rodney said, pointing to the stack of unused tarps. "You can lay Sheppard on top of one of those and just drag him over there. No need in putting yourself through all the extra strain of carrying him."

Ronon flashed him a quick grin of thanks, then he grabbed a tarp and rolled Sheppard's limp body over on top of it, centering him as best he could. He stood and grabbed hold of one corner, pausing to catch his breath for a moment before he started dragging Sheppard along.

"Be careful," Rodney cautioned.

Ronon nodded without looking back and said, "I've got him."

"No, I mean you've got to watch out for yourself, too," he warned. "You're not Superman, you know, no matter how much you try to convince us otherwise... and you're the only one of us who can easily move around, so take care."

He paused, then pointed a finger at Ronon's back. "And don't forget you dropped me during your last rescue – not on purpose, or so you say, but you dropped me nonetheless. Don't drop Sheppard."

Ronon grunted, shook his head, and kept walking, though there was a little lighter air to his step now. Rodney limped forward after tucking his scanner into a pocket and taking hold of his crutch. "And to think, all I wanted was some Shiska stew... " he said mournfully.

**oOoOoOoOo**

**Chapter 7**


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks to everyone for their kind words and encouragement. I promise I'll respond when I have a little more free time. In the meanwhile, maybe this will carry y'all over!

**Chapter Eight**

"Sounds like he's diaphoretic," Keller said grimly after Ronon gave her a rundown of Sheppard's symptoms.

Rodney bit his lip as he listened to her prognosis. More medical mumbo jumbo. At times, Rodney felt just as lost as Ronon when medical terms started being bandied about. If only medicine was a more defined science like physics or mathematics, he'd be more inclined to pay more attention. As far as he was concerned, there was entirely too much left to chance with medicine.

Ronon dabbed at Sheppard's sweaty face with a gauze pad, then he ran it down Sheppard's neck, swabbing up as much sweat as he could. He ran his hand over Sheppard's uniform/alien suit and lifted it for the others to see. Sheppard's clothes were wet with sweat, too. Whatever the suit's material was, it did allow for things like moisture to pass through. That was encouraging.

Rodney might not have been certain what diaphoretic meant, but he knew Sheppard was sweating way too much and that wasn't encouraging. The scientific facet of Rodney's psyche was intrigued by how the suit was so confining, yet it would let sweat pass through. He would probably be in awe of it if it hadn't entrapped his friend.

Sheppard murmured indistinguishable words as Jennifer continued, "He's going into shock. Elevate his legs and keep him warm."

Ronon found a box and placed it under Sheppard's feet to elevate them. His movements were quick and precise, yet his concern for Sheppard made them seem awkward. Keller continued, "We really need to start another IV. Does the suit cover his hands as well?"

Rodney answered, "The suit covers everything except his face and hair."

As they spoke, Teyla was wrapping an ace bandage around Rodney's grotesquely swollen knee, making Rodney's breath hitch occasionally, but Rodney grunted and then muttered, "Only Sheppard could have something like this happen to him, and have his hair survive unruffled."

Teyla shot Rodney an irritated glance while Jennifer just ignored Rodney's comment completely. "Do you think a needle will pierce the material covering his skin?"

Ronon glanced over at Rodney. Rodney was settled on the floor across from Sheppard and next to Teyla. He was trying to be brave and not show his pain like Teyla was doing. After all, she had put her own discomfort aside to help alleviate his by applying the elastic wrap to his knee, but Rodney was failing miserably.

"Ow, ow, ow. Please, Teyla, remember there's living tissue down there somewhere," he murmured finally.

Feeling Ronon's gaze boring into his skull, Rodney looked up at him, and said, "What?"

Jennifer repeated her question. "Will a needle pierce the material covering his skin?"

Rodney shook his head. "I don't know... maybe. It's allowing sweat to pass through."

Ronon took an IV catheter set from the medical kit and attempted to insert the needle, but the needle couldn't penetrate the suit's material. He put the IV set aside, then reached out, trying to pull some of the material away from John's skin, but it wouldn't budge.

Ronon glanced up at Rodney. Rodney said, "It's thin, Jennifer, but it's stronger that it looks."

Ronon pulled out his knife and Rodney put up a hand. "Whoa, Big Foot, what are you doing?"

"Gonna see just how strong it is," Ronon said with a frown. "Don't worry, I won't hurt him."

Ronon took the tip of the knife and laid it on the material, then tried to catch some of it as he swept up with it, but the material didn't move. He licked his lips and concentrated carefully as he pressed the tip of the knife against the material on Sheppard's forearm.

Rodney watched with horror as Ronon continued to exert pressure against the suit without cutting into it. A soft shimmer appeared at the area of the knife tip. Ronon looked up at Rodney with a questioning expression.

After a moment, Rodney nodded for him to continue, his fascination at what was happening overshadowing his own apprehension. Ronon exerted more force until he was placing most of his weight against the knife, pressing it down into the material covering John's arm with so much force Ronon's arm started to shake from the pressure. The shimmer became a white glow around the knife tip, but Sheppard never roused.

Rodney cleared his throat. "Well, that's certainly disturbing."

Teyla stilled her movement as she watched, the ace bandage practically forgotten in her hand as she held it in mid-air. Ronon looked up at Rodney and said, "We've got a bigger problem here."

Jennifer asked, "What? What's going on?"

Rodney picked up his scanner again. "The suit's tensile strength is amazing, but I think that's just the tip of the iceberg. There's no way we're going to be able to use a needle to pierce the suit's material. The suit must have some sort of way to discern what can and cannot pass through it."

Keller said, "That is unfortunate. Colonel Sheppard already had a variety of injuries – any one of which could cause problems, but added together – and now without a way to treat him... "

"I know," Rodney said softly. "He's screwed."

Teyla spoke up for the first time in a while. "No, Rodney, we must not lose hope. John is still alive. He is a strong man, both in body and spirit, with unparalleled determination. He will survive this. We just need to find a way to help him with the situation at hand."

Ronon nodded. "She's right."

Teyla finished wrapping Rodney's knee and looked up at the others. "We will get through this, but it will take work. Rodney, you have two very important jobs to do. One: Find a way to get John out of the suit. And two: A way out of this fortress."

A hundred smart ass comments sprang to Rodney's lips about her unrealistic expectations, but he ground his teeth together and didn't say any of them. Not to Teyla. It wouldn't be any fun shooting zingers at her anyway – not like it was with Sheppard. Besides, he reminded himself, Teyla knew how to hurt him really bad if she wanted to.

With a sigh, he nodded and deliberately avoided looking in John's direction. Instead, he forced himself to take a deep breath. Worry was only going to distract him and he needed to focus on work.

"Let me see if the diagnostic program I was running on the main computer system has finished. The one on my scanner involving the suit is still going."

Teyla glanced down at Ashina, and her hand went to rest on Ashina's still form where Ronon had set Ashina's doll to rest in the crook of Ashina's arm. Even though she hadn't said the words aloud, Rodney knew Teyla was just as worried about Ashina as she was about Sheppard.

The good news was that Ashina's vital signs were improving, though she still hadn't regained consciousness. Perhaps that was a blessing in disguise, Rodney decided. A screaming kid was exactly the sort of thing they didn't need. There was already way too much drama going on.

Rodney looked up to find Teyla staring at him. She bowed her head slightly, maintaining her gaze, and asked, "I wish to assist you in your work."

Ronon straightened and nodded. "Yeah, me, too. Been feeling pretty useless."

Rodney sighed. "If I could clone myself three ways, I'd do it, but since that isn't an option, I guess I'll just have to do the work myself. There will be some things I'll need help with soon, Ronon."

He glanced at Teyla and shook his head. "I'm sorry, but you aren't going to like this, Teyla. Someone needs to stay here with the girl and Sheppard and you're the only one who can. Besides, with your bum leg, you're not going to be moving very far away anyway. And that will free Ronon and me to do what needs to be done. The only way this is going to fly is if everyone works together."

Teyla's expression darkened for a minute before she nodded. "I understand."

Keller interrupted their conversation and Rodney realized he'd completely forgotten she was still on the radio. "One more question and I'll let you get to work. Has the colonel's heart rate and respiration slowed any since you first checked it?"

Ronon put a finger to Sheppard's carotid artery, then laid his palm over Sheppard's chest, counting his respiration. "Maybe a little, but he's still breathing harder than he should. It's almost like he's fighting something... maybe the suit itself?"

He looked over at Rodney. Rodney shrugged, then rolled his head around his neck as he thought some more before speaking. "It's possible," he said finally.

Rodney took a deep breath and put a hand on his knee. He attempted to straighten it, then thought better of that idea when the joint protested the movement. To get his mind off the pain, he just stared at Sheppard.

"The truth is there's a whole lot more we don't know about this suit than what we do. If that's going to change in our favor, I've got to get to work. Too bad the Daedalus is two days away. It would be a hell of a lot easier to just do a beam out."

"I know, Rodney," Jennifer said softly. "Well, I'll let you work. I'll check back in an hour, but call me if there's any new developments or if you have any questions. Keller out."

"No," Sheppard whispered, reaching out blindly with one hand as if to push something away from him. After a moment, the hand dropped down to settle over his ribs.

"Crap," Rodney said as he glanced away. "We've got to figure this out and fast."

Rodney tried to get up, but only succeeded in causing himself more pain. Exasperated with himself, he turned to Ronon, knowing he had to look as helpless as he ever had. "Can you give me a hand up?"

Ronon nodded and stood, though he noted even the big guy looked tired and frayed. As he put out his hand, Rodney wondered just how long they could keep up with things happening at this pace, then he tossed the notion aside, deciding it was something he didn't want to dwell on.

**oOoOoOoOo**

The memory of Ashina finally speaking with her parents was a particularly poignant one for Teyla. Teyla still felt the remnants of relief that came from Ashina's awakening whenever she glanced down at the girl.

Teyla's hand rested on Ashina's abdomen as she lay on a makeshift bed on the floor beside her. As the minutes ticked by, though, Teyla's relief had ebbed. Ashina was weak and subdued, not at all like the little girl Teyla had known, which only caused Teyla's worry to edge higher. While they were pretty sure Ashina's laser wound hadn't hit any vital organs, there was no way to know with certainty until Jennifer could put Ashina under a scanner.

Teyla looked at her watch. It was hard to believe six hours had already passed since John was trapped by the suit, but then in other ways, it seemed as if time had slowed to an insufferable pace.

She was so tired. She told herself that her own injury was insignificant in comparison to what Ashina and John had suffered, but then she would move the wrong way and the throbbing in her thigh would offer a vigorous rebuttal. Even so, she would suffer far worse injury without complaint, if it meant Ashina would survive.

It was time to try to rouse Ashina again. Over the past few hours, whenever Teyla had tried to awaken her, Ashina would open her eyes for a moment, cry a little, then ask for her mother or father or her doll before drifting back to sleep, but when Teyla put a hand on Ashina's shoulder this time and shook her gently, Ashina wouldn't rouse.

Teyla shook Ashina with more force, but still there was no response. She swallowed hard, trying to control her concern, only to realize her mouth had gone dry.

She reached over and picked Ashina up, careful of her IV, but there was still no reaction from little girl. Teyla tapped her radio headset and said, "I need to speak with Dr. Keller. It is urgent."

After a moment, Jennifer came on the radio and said, "Yes, Teyla?"

Teyla cleared her voice and tried to sound calm. "It is Ashina. I cannot rouse her this time."

There was a momentary silence, then Jennifer asked, "Try pressing your thumb and forefinger over the area right at the base of her neck where the neck and shoulder meet, and squeeze hard."

Teyla did it and looked up when nothing happened. "No response," she said, hearing the breathless tone in her voice and she forced herself take a deep breath.

Jennifer sighed. "I was afraid of something like this."

"What do I do?"

"There is nothing to be done at the moment. Major Lorne and Doctor Zelenka are working hard to find a way in, and Rodney is all over that computer system. Something's gotta give soon. Just keep Ashina warm and continue to try and wake her. She might surprise us."

Teyla looked down at Ashina, fear gnawing in her gut, and said, "There must be _something_ I can do for her."

There was a pause before Jennifer answered. "There is no way to know exactly what is going on with Ashina, Teyla. You've got the IV in place to keep her hydrated. You're keeping her warm. There's not much else that can be done without knowing the full extent of her injuries."

Teyla nodded, closing her eyes as she leaned her head back to rest on the wall behind them and let out a long breath. "I do not like the situation, Jennifer, but I understand."

After another extended pause, Keller asked, "How is our other patient doing?"

Teyla glanced over at John. "He is breathing better."

"Good. I'm glad to hear that," Keller said. "Oh, I'm told Major Lorne wants to speak with Rodney if he's available."

Teyla looked over at Rodney with Ronon at his side. Ronon had found Rodney a stool to sit on and a crate to use to rest his injured leg. She raised her voice and said, "Rodney, Major Lorne wishes to speak with you."

Rodney tapped his radio with the impatience of a man with far too much to do to waste time talking. "Yeah?"

"Just wanted to update you, Doc. Dr. Zelenka asked me to let you know what we've been up to."

Rodney's head turned in the direction of the facility's entrance and his gaze narrowed. "Been up to? What do you mean by that?"

"Well, Dr. Zelenka would be telling you this himself, except he's pretty busy at the moment. He had the idea of using one of the replacement drills we had in storage from the underwater drilling platform to cut through the bedrock and into the wall of the facility to get to you, bypassing that damned metal door."

Ronon's head popped up, hope highlighting his expression for the first time in hours, but it waned when Rodney shook his head adamantly. Rodney looked tired, really tired. His expression turned into an exaggerated scowl. "That would be really great, Major, if we were underwater, but we aren't. Damn it, Radek should know the Ancient drill was designed solely for the purpose of drilling underwater!"

Instead of backing down, Lorne pressed forward. "Yes, but he said with some adaptations, the drill could be made to work above water, too. I've been watching them work, Doc, and the drilling is going really well. We're making steady progress. In fact, the projected breakthrough time has been moved up a few hours. I've gotta tell you it's going a lot faster than my men could ever dig and much easier on the back."

Now, Rodney's expression transformed from doubting to cautiously hopeful. Ronon smiled and patted him on the back as Lorne continued, "So, we should break through to you in about ten hours unless there is a problem. Is Colonel Sheppard is still unconscious?"

Rodney let out a long breath as he glanced over at Teyla and John. "Yeah, Colonel Rip Van Winkle is still out." Rodney started snapping his fingers and turned back to his keyboard, typing something very quickly on the console of the main computer, then he straightened and said, "Yes!"

"What's that?" Lorne asked.

Rodney rolled his eyes and then made a hurry gesture with one hand. "Gotta go, trying to save lives and such."

"Sorry, sir. I'll contact you in an hour with another update."

"Right. McKay out."

Teyla leaned forward and called, "What is it, Rodney?"

"I just figured out how to access one of the files named Facility Defenses in this scrambled database and it actually opened for me! It still needs to be cleaned up, but it's a start."

"Very good, Rodney. Keep at it."

When she sat back, she saw John's eyes were open, but he was staring off into the distance, as if not really focused on anything. She smiled and bent down to catch his gaze, then said, "John, it is good to see you awake."

He blinked a couple of times and swallowed, his eyelids barely open.

"Hey, Teyla," he said, his voice had a dreamy quality to it.

She shifted, then she bit the inside of her cheek as her thigh reminded her the laser injury was still there. Moving more carefully, she placed a hand on John's arm, then her relief faded a little as she took in John's dazed appearance. She squeezed his arm a little and asked, "How are you?"

There was a long pause with no reaction from John, but finally he responded. "Feeling pretty wasted, if you want to know the truth. What happened?"

Her breath caught as she realized John was just at the edge of consciousness, not really awake, but not really asleep either. She smiled and rubbed the strangely warm material covering John's forearm. It was dry now.

"Do not worry about it now, just rest. I shall be here when you awaken."

"Saw you with Ashina. Sorry, I - I couldn't protect her like I promised... it's my fault... "

Teyla thought she could see tears forming in John's eyes. The rare sight made Teyla's breath catch and she took John's hand in hers, squeezing tightly.

"It was not your fault, John," she said, then straightened her shoulders as she recalled her own guilt. "Just as it was not mine. It simply happened. But she will be fine once we get her to the infirmary."

John let out a slow breath, then stopped as if the motion pained him. In his half asleep state, he didn't try to hide the discomfort and that innocent honesty he displayed touched Teyla's heart more than a loud, prolonged groan would have ever done.

He mumbled, "No, I should – I should have done more... "

"You should sleep," she said firmly and she brought her hand to his forehead, brushing back his hair.

He grimaced as he shifted. One hand flopped up toward his ribs while the other rested over his hip. "Hurts," he said softly.

She nodded, still carding her fingers through his hair. "I know. It does not help that you are exhausted. We've been worried about you since you were... attacked by the suit. You seemed to be struggling."

John nodded, now fighting to keep his eyes open. "Wouldn't let me free. I tried, but it wouldn't let me go."

"Is that what is causing you pain?"

Again, he nodded. His eyelids drifted shut for a moment and she knew she should just

let him sleep but curiosity compelled her to ask, "Why won't it let you go?"

He shook his head so slightly it was barely a movement, then he moaned, curling around his painful areas. She squeezed his hand again. "I am here, John, I am here. What can I do?"

He mumbled something and she leaned forward to hear him better. "I am sorry, John, I could not hear you."

"Don't give up," he murmured. "Can't give up."

He looked so fragile at that moment. She started brushing her fingers against his hair again. "Just rest, John. You are weary and need the sleep."

He let out a long breath. "Maybe... for just a sec."

Then his eyes drifted shut and stayed closed.

Teyla's lower lip trembled a little and she brought a hand to her mouth as she closed her eyes. Her emotions were so close to the surface, she thought she was going to break into tears. She took a slow deep breath and drew Ashina closer. She pressed her face against the little girl's chest and took comfort in the slow steady beat of her heart.

When Teyla pulled away, she felt stronger, but no less conflicted. She laid Ashina down, then forced herself up to her feet, ignoring the pain the movement caused. Rodney was right – if they were to escape this nightmare of a place, they all had to work together. She'd spent enough of her time sitting around. It was time to get moving.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Rodney yawned and glanced over at Teyla as he waited for the data transfer from the main computer to his tablet computer to finish. They had been trapped in the facility for nearly sixteen hours, yet it seemed like a lifetime. Rodney massaged the back of his neck, then said, "You don't have to wait for me, you know. I can walk ten meters without an escort."

Teyla shook her head. "I would rather wait with you. You are nearly done?"

"Yes, now with the able assistance of you and Ronon. Team effort and all that. You know, you've really progressed in your knowledge of Ancient computer systems. Of course, you are nowhere near my capabilities, but still... "

He glanced at her again, giving her closer scrutiny. "Funny, between you and Ronon, I haven't been alone all night long."

She licked her lips, then smiled. "You noticed?"

"Kind of hard not to," Rodney said after a moment, rolling his eyes.

He adjusted his position on the stool Ronon had given him, then using both hands, he moved his leg so that it was resting better on the crate beside the stool. It did help a little, but the most effective pain reliever was getting lost in the computer database clean up programs. There, he could nearly forget about his throbbing knee.

Teyla winced, looking sufficiently chagrined and said, "We wanted to help. Is that so wrong?"

"No, of course not, I understand that concept more than you might imagine," Rodney said, shaking his head, then paused to rub at his forehead. He must have let his hand linger there longer than he intended, because he felt Teyla's intense gaze and he let his hand drop away.

"Are you all right, Rodney?" she asked as she touched his arm.

He started to nod, then he narrowed his gaze, searching for hidden clues. "Are you sure that's the real reason you're here or are you sticking to my side like ugly on an alligator because you guys really think I'm about to collapse from a brain hemorrhage or something equally dire? Be honest. I can take it."

Teyla paused, taking a deep breath as she shifted her stance.

"Oh, damn, that's it, isn't it? I'm going to die a terrible, horrid death."

Teyla shook her head. "No, Rodney, I do not believe you are going to die. Perhaps, it was a little bit of both circumstances for Ronon and myself," Teyla conceded finally with a smile. Then she had to put a hand on the computer console in front of her for support.

She moved to put more of her weight onto her good leg and Rodney frowned. She was almost as bad as John and Ronon was when it came to powering through pain, but when she looked up at him next, there was a smirk on her face. "Did you just call me ugly, Rodney?"

Rodney straightened. "No, of course not – " He blinked several times, then put his hand back to his forehead. "It was just a manner of speech – I meant – oh, never mind."

He glanced over to where Ronon was with Ashina and John, sitting in between the two of them. Rodney watched as Ronon looked down at the arm sling Teyla had given him, fooling with it in irritation. Rodney was willing to bet good money that Ronon would abandon it any minute, even with the awful-looking assortment of bruises and contusions Ronon had on his shoulder and upper left side of his body. Not that Ronon had uttered a word of complaint about any of it.

Rodney looked back at Teyla as she adjusted her hold on a piece of high durability plastic she was using as a cane. Another one without complaint. Rodney chewed on his lower lip, dumbfounded.

Teyla noticed his puzzled expression and asked, "Rodney, what is the matter?"

Rodney searched Teyla's face for answers. "You guys handle disaster so much better than I do. I mean, if anything, disaster makes you stronger."

Teyla pondered silently, then asked, "Why do you say that?"

"Because it does... for all three of you."

He fluttered his fingers in the direction of the others.

"Sheppard's fighting for his life right now, fighting with everything he's got. It's frightening to see, yet my money is on him to win. Ronon dislocated his shoulder saving my life, and he says it's no big deal. Then he turns around and saves all of our lives from those damned lasers by blasting the laser turrets into a million pieces. Again, he says no big deal. You get shot by a laser trying to save that little girl and yet here you are on your feet with a hole through your thigh, just to make sure I'm okay," Rodney said, finishing with a sigh before he added, "And all I ever do is whine and complain. Guess that makes me the weakest link in the chain."

Teyla's eyes widened with understanding. She let out a slow breath, and leaned closer to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Rodney, I have no doubt that you will be the one who ultimately saves all of our lives."

Rodney grunted. "No pressure there."

She smiled at him and the area around her seemed to brighten with it. "I trust in you and your abilities as deeply as I do for the sun to rise. It is the same for Ronon and John. Your courage may be a different type than it is the rest of us, but it is no less significant in its strength, perhaps more because you must overcome your fears to rise above it all."

He stared at her as her words sunk in, then his chest swelled a little and he stood a little taller, though he was at a loss for words. How does one reply to something like that without sounding pious or condescending, he wondered.

Teyla saved him from finding out by pointing to Rodney's computer. "Your download is complete. Come, it is time for a break. You have been pushing yourself hard for several hours. Combine that with the fact I know you were in your lab before 6AM and you've been going for over twenty hours."

"Twenty hours? Pfft, piece of cake. Remember what I did during the Wraith siege on Atlantis? That was bad, but it was a whole lot more than any measly twenty hours. You know, I was once up for eighty-four hours straight. That was a personal best. Though, I really don't remember much of it, and, of course, I collapsed soon afterward and didn't wake up for three days – "

Teyla put up a hand to silence him and Rodney took a deep breath to stop himself. Using her firmest tone, she said, "That was twenty hours during which you sustained a significant injury and exhausted yourself working on a way to free us. So, I say it is time for some food and sleep, whether you want it or not."

Rodney sighed, then nodded as he continued to work, but he held up a pointed finger. "Be honest, Teyla. I wouldn't exactly classify power bars as food."

Teyla looked like she wanted to agree with him, but caught herself before she did. "Nonetheless, it is the best we have."

Rodney grunted. "It's the _only_ thing we have. By the way, how much do we have in supply?"

"A few days worth if we are judicious."

Rodney sighed. "Hopefully, the Daedalus will arrive ahead of schedule... ugh, the thought of two days with nothing but power bars just makes me plain nauseated."

He could have sworn he saw Teyla start to nod her head, but she stopped short. Her expression took on a very determined edge and she said slowly, "But they will sustain us and that is all that matters."

Rodney considered Teyla's words as he placed his computer into his backpack and slung it over his shoulder. He sighed then, his fingers fiddling with the strap of his backpack. "I just – I just wish we could find something more useful than the gibberish that is so rampant in this damned database."

She put a hand on his back. "We will find a way to get John free, Rodney. One way or another, we will find a way to free him from that suit."

Rodney nodded – a rather aimless nod, but he did agree with her. To think otherwise felt like it would betray everything John Sheppard believed in and Rodney wasn't about to mess with that.

Teyla put her hand to rest against the center of his chest and leaned her head against his shoulder. Rodney heard her sigh, then say, "We must help him."

Without thinking, Rodney brought up his hand to give her a quick pat on the back as he turned into her touch. It might have been considered a hug, but only in the vaguest of terms, of course. At least, that was what he told himself.

He felt strangely at ease with Teyla's lack of personal space. It wasn't so long ago that he would have stiffened at the thought of such contact... but now it just seemed the right thing to do. They had to support one another in every way they could – it was the only way they were going to find a way to save Sheppard.

Teyla sighed again, pulling away, then smiled up at him; exhaustion and pain were etched into the lines in her face, but somehow with her smile, everything seemed a little better and a little less dire.

"Food, water and rest," she said simply as she gestured for him to head toward the others.

So, Rodney started walking... well, he used the term loosely. A three-legged ostrich would demonstrate better grace than he did. As he moved, he was aware of every ache and pain his body had. Ten meters suddenly seemed like ten kilometers as he trudged along.

He felt a hand on his back and looked up to see Teyla beside him, giving him an encouraging gaze. He glanced down at her cane and the left leg she held so stiffly, yet she was there rooting him on. He stared at her, thinking he'd never fully understand what motivated people like Teyla, Sheppard and Ronon to do what they did – except when he thought in terms of loyalty, friendship, and dedication, then everything became perfectly clear.

His breath hitched before he gave her a quick smile back, then focused on crossing the remaining distance without complaint or whining. Once he arrived at the pallets Ronon and Teyla had prepared for each of them to sleep on, he glanced over at Sheppard and let out a long sigh of disappointment when he saw that nothing had changed for John.

Sheppard was still out of it, his lips moving, his breathing fast, and his countenance pale. Little Ashina, on the other hand, slept without moving. A distant part of Rodney wondered if he should mention to Teyla how Ashina had told him that her mother's singing always made her feel better, then he decided he would the next time Teyla spoke to her mother. Maybe something like that would help restore the little girl's spirit and give Teyla some peace of mind.

He stared at Ashina's doll as it lay in the crook of Ashina's arm, hoping it would comfort the girl when she opened her eyes again. Funny, how Ashina took up more and more of his thoughts. Maybe children weren't as irritating as he once thought, even the ones who could talk back.

Rodney fought the urge to yawn, and succeeded for a moment, but when it happened again, he allowed himself a prolonged stretch and a wide-opened mouth yawn. As good as that felt, he knew sleep was a long way off, not with all he had to do.

He gave Ronon a nod of acknowledgment as he neared him, but then paused in confusion when Ronon stood and stopped beside him.

"What?" Rodney asked with more than a little irritation. He was thirsty, hungry, and hurting – and he wasn't in the mood for guessing games.

Ronon gestured toward Rodney's knee and said, "I thought you might need a hand getting settled."

Rodney swallowed down his irritation and almost protested that he didn't need any help, but then finally agreed. It turned out he was grateful for the assist, because once he was down on the pallet, his hands trembled from the effort. How could one damaged joint hurt so damned much?

Ronon reached into a pocket and tossed Rodney a small packet of pain relievers after he was settled. "You're way past due," he said softly before straightening. "Take it before you get any grumpier and I have to kick you in the ass."

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Florence Nightingale you aren't," he muttered.

As he got comfortable, he felt Teyla's motherly gaze, then heard her chiding tone, "You should have rested hours ago."

"Well, I'm here now," Rodney said, then smacked his lips in mock anticipation and rubbed his hands together. "Did I hear someone mention something about a power bar for dinner? Oh yum!"

Teyla eyed him closely, and Rodney began to fidget. Crap, he could never hold up against _that_. He knew part of what was fueling her undivided attention – he'd worked way too long, especially with an injury, without a lot to eat or drink, but what else could he have done? The team was depending on him and he wasn't about to let them down.

He looked up in time to catch the power bar Teyla tossed to him.

"Enjoy," she said softly.

Her soul-penetrating stare was finally gone, and she just looked tired, and in pain, and _so_ not the usual Teyla. Rodney thought about giving her the same type of chiding he'd just endured, but changed his mind when he realized he could never, ever, not in a million years, pull off that look as well as Teyla did.

He unwrapped the power bar and bit into it. He almost gasped in response. Maybe he was hungrier than he thought. He made himself take tiny little bites so the bar would last as long as possible, but it still disappeared way too fast. He didn't ask for another.

A growing silence overtook them, one that Rodney had attributed to frustrated exhaustion. It was broken the moment Sheppard groaned and rolled onto his side. He wrapped his arms around his middle, startling everyone.

Teyla was the first to react. She reached out with one hand and squeezed John's arm. "John, we are here... you are not alone," she said firmly, her voice conveying strength and support.

After a moment, Sheppard seemed to relax a bit and his breathing evened out a little, but his lips were still moving. Rodney bent forward to better hear what John was saying and sighed when he thought he heard him say, "Not giving up... "

_No, of course not. John Sheppard never gives up. _

Rodney swallowed hard and looked at the others. He wasn't surprised when he saw the same bitter frustration he felt reflected in their faces. When nothing more happened, Rodney relaxed a bit. He opened his backpack to retrieve his computer, then tossed the backpack behind his head to use as a pillow and shifted, but he still couldn't find a comfortable position until Ronon put a rolled up tarp under Rodney's knee to give it better support.

"Thanks," Rodney said, and he really meant it, but then he felt a twinge of regret for all the names he'd called Ronon over the years – Chewbacca, Tarzan, Big Foot, etc. It was an aspect of his relationship with Ronon that he decided he really needed to curtail. It wasn't fair at all, definitely more demeaning than anything else, not to mention the fact that Ronon could squash him like a bug if he wanted to.

Pushing that thought to the back of his mind, Rodney began to examine the information on his tablet computer, scrolling through the data when something bounced off his shoulder. When he looked up, he saw an empty water bottle falling off to the side.

"What the hell?" Rodney asked, more than a little indignant. He decided he would just take back that twinge of regret he'd felt earlier. To hell with Ronon and his Neanderthal manners. "Trying to concentrate here, Conan."

Ronon shook his head and gestured toward Teyla. "Pay attention. Teyla was talking to you."

"Oh... sorry," he said as he glanced over at Teyla. "What?"

"Water?" she asked, holding out a bottle of water. "You still have not taken your pain reliever."

Rodney forced himself to take the bottle of water, even though he really wasn't that thirsty. He made a show of opening the packet of pills and swallowing them, followed by a swig of water, then another one. Damn, he was thirsty. Finally, he set the bottle down at his side as his thoughts centered around a possible workaround to the scrambled information he'd transferred to his computer.

"Uh, thanks," he said as an afterthought.

The download from the facility's database vexed him with its jumbled files and pervasive gibberish. He gave himself into the project of cleaning up the section he'd downloaded, but it was slow going. Still, he was making progress. The data held him engrossed until another empty water bottle hit him on the arm. It was quickly followed by another that bounced off his hand and popped up to hit him lightly on the head.

Rodney slapped a hand over the area and hissed as he waited for the pain to pass. "Do the words _head injury_ mean nothing to you?" he started, preparing to give the Satedan a piece of his mind, but stopped when Ronon looked sufficiently chagrined.

Rodney let out a long breath instead, trying to contain his irritation. All that vanished when he saw Teyla's concerned expression.

"What?" Rodney asked emphatically, lifting a hand into the air. Obviously, he was missing out on something of importance.

Teyla took a deep breath and said, "Rodney, I was hoping you would get some rest. If you exhaust yourself, you will be of no help to anyone, least of all yourself."

He sighed, waving his fingers in her direction. "I'm lying down now, so technically I am resting," he said, not really in the mood for an extended debate.

Ronon said, "Come on, McKay, you've had your nose stuck in that computer for over an hour."

Rodney blinked a couple of times and said, "An hour? Really? Huh."

He frowned, disturbed by the fact that he'd lost track of a considerable chunk of time, but then he moved and realized Ronon was probably right. What else would explain the way his body had stiffened since he had last moved? Hissing as he tried to find a more comfortable position, Rodney waved a hand in the air, ignoring the pain as he met Teyla's penetrating gaze. "You won't care about me resting when you hear what I've found out."

"What's that?" Ronon asked as he sat with his back against a wall, slightly cradling his bad arm with his other.

Ronon's interest in Rodney's revelation earned him a withering glare from Teyla. It was very obvious Teyla wanted Rodney to sleep and do nothing else. Ronon shrugged off the _death_ stare Teyla directed at him far easier than Rodney could have done as he put out a hand. "Teyla, McKay's going to tell us about it whether we want to hear it or not, so why not get it over and done with?"

Normally, Rodney would have enjoyed watching Ronon catch some flack from Teyla, but he let it pass, mostly because he couldn't keep himself from gushing about his discovery. He dove in before Teyla could mount a counterattack.

"The Ancient scientist who built this place was named Damisk. It seems he was banished from Atlantis for running dangerous experiments, but he was trying to get back into their good graces by coming up with a successful project, so he was willing to do just about anything to get there. I take it he was more than just your common risk taker when it came to the pursuit of scientific gain."

Rodney paused. "You know, I think his name is familiar. Yeah, yeah, I remember him now from the Ancient records on Atlantis. Yeah, the man was a genius, but the Ancients considered him way too dangerous to work in the city – and with good reason – as I recall, he nearly blew up the east pier."

He searched his memories for more references to Damisk, but couldn't come up with anything else. He blinked a couple of times and realized Teyla and Ronon were waiting for him to continue. "Sorry... anyway, he was forced to leave the city shortly after that."

He glanced around at the cluttered, overflowing shelves and grunted. "This says funds were tight and he couldn't always procure high-quality Ancient-type materials, so he turned to other worlds and technologies. I guess that explains part of what's stockpiled here."

Ronon leaned forward. "So what happened? Why did we find his dead body?"

Rodney shook his head. "Something went south in a big way. Not sure quite what. He had about six major projects going and several lesser ones – "

Sheppard's hoarse voice cut Rodney off. "No!"

When Rodney glanced over at him, John had his eyes squeezed shut and he was shaking his head. He held an outstretched hand and shouted, "Not giving in, damn it!"

Rodney blinked when he thought he saw the black suit shift around John's body as if it were moving, as if it were actually causing ripples across its smooth surface. Then the ripples thickened at Sheppard's chest. Rodney drew back in fear. Even the normally stoic Ronon looked surprised as he glanced over at Teyla.

The rippling progressed up John's chest and now the strange black material flowed up over John's mouth and nose, becoming something resembling a diving mask and regulator, only John wasn't getting any air. He clawed at his nose and mouth, struggling to breathe, but it didn't seem to do him much good.

As he watched, Rodney's hands clutched into fists so tightly they began to cramp. He opened his mouth to speak, but he was beyond words.

Ronon's reaction was much stronger – he slammed a fist against the wall beside them and yelled, "You want someone to fight, take me on, you damned thing!"

The sudden outbursts from Ronon startled Ashina awake and she began to cry. Teyla brushed her fingers over the child's eyebrows and shushed her gently, pressing Soho beside Ashina's cheek, so that she could see the doll. Ashina sighed and took Soho, nuzzling it under her chin. Luckily, the doll must have helped, because Ashina dropped back to sleep almost immediately.

In the distraction, Rodney lost track of Sheppard and the strange rippling he'd seen. When he looked back, the strange manifestation in the form of diving equipment was gone and John was taking in huge gulps of air, his face deep red from the effort to restore his breathing. His neck was mottled as if he'd been strangulated and dark bruises were forming on his neck, leaving Rodney to wonder what other injuries might be hidden under the rest of that damned suit.

Ronon was at Sheppard's side and Teyla put a hand on John's chest. Rodney gaped in disbelief as he saw the suit move on its own again, reminiscent of how it had first attacked Sheppard, flowing over his body like liquid evil.

After a moment, John's hand dropped from his chest to the floor. His eyes never opened, but his lips kept moving as he struggled. Teyla and Ronon did their best to comfort him, even as he whispered, "No, stop."

There was another ripple in the suit and Sheppard's hand went to his hip as he arched off the floor in obvious pain. John held his breath as he fought. Rodney didn't realize he was holding his breath, too, until John took in a couple quick gasps.

Ronon leaned forward and gripped John's shoulder. "Don't back down, John. You can beat this thing. We're here for you. Kick its ass."

John's resolve seemed to strengthen and his voice was stronger as he rasped, "Leave me the hell alone!"

Rodney had no idea what was going on for Sheppard, but something must have happened, because John collapsed back to the floor and did little except breathe. Ronon continued to talk to Sheppard in a low voice as he kept his hand on John's shoulder. Rodney couldn't really make out what he was saying to him in quiet whispers, but it seemed like Sheppard relaxed a little more.

"Did you – did you see that?" Rodney asked Teyla hoarsely as he pointed at Sheppard. "The suit, the way it moved?"

Teyla's gaze darted at Rodney, then back down at Sheppard. When she spoke, her voice was slightly hushed, because of Sheppard and Ashina, but her tone was angrier than Rodney had heard it in a very long time. "Yes, it almost suffocated John while we were powerless to do anything except watch."

She swallowed hard when her voice cracked. "He cannot keep this up indefinitely."

She sat back, rubbing her thigh, stewing in her fury. If this suit was something Teyla could have taken on herself, Rodney knew she would have done so without reservation, and Rodney might even have felt sorry for the thing after that, except for the fact it was an enemy.

Once Sheppard fell silent again, Ronon shoved himself back against the wall, the sharp angles of his face dark with unspent rage. "We've got to get this thing off of him!"

"I know, I know," Rodney murmured as he picked up his computer again. "I'm working on it."

There was a long silence. Ronon took a deep breath, and glanced over at Rodney as he moved back to sit down. "He's out again. What else did you find in the computer?"

Teyla nodded as she asked, "Did the cleanup program accomplish its task?"

Rodney glanced at her, then back to his computer and frowned as he sought to gather his thoughts again after the emotional rush of concern for John. "Like I said before, this database was impossibly scrambled. Even after running the programs that we did, it's still a mess, but I was able to find something."

He opened the file again and scrolled down the screen, quickly skimming over the words. At the periphery of his vision, he saw Sheppard begin to struggle again. Ronon moved back to his position at John's side, his hand on John's arm as he talked to him again in a low whisper. Rodney tried to focus his thoughts only on the database files, on the things he could help with, and not Sheppard's downward-spiraling situation, but he wasn't doing a very good job at it.

When he looked back up at Teyla and Ronon, he knew there was dread in his expression, but it was with good reason. "This place wasn't shut down, it just went on standby mode after a few millennia. That's why all the defense systems went bugeyed when I overrode the door controls. According to this, once the shield door comes down, there isn't any other way of getting out of this place. It was a last resort to be used if one of Damisk's more ambitious projects went out of control."

There was silence between the three for a long moment, the only sound from Sheppard's ragged breathing. Teyla sat back, leaning against the wall behind her and sighed. "I had hoped there would be a faster, easier way to leave this place."

Rodney nodded. He started scrolling through more information. "As awful as it was to have happen, when Sheppard activated the suit, the computer system opened access to a larger cache of data related to the suit and the facility as well and that has helped things a great deal and that's how I was able to make some progress finally."

Rodney cleared his throat, not tired any longer, but he would have killed for a cup of hot coffee right then. "No wonder your knife didn't put a dent in it, Ronon. The suit was a prototype that could be used for defense, offense and other more practical applications such as search-and-rescue, and so on. It could even be used underwater or in space if necessary."

Ronon nodded. "Makes sense."

Rodney skimmed ahead, then said, "Wow."

He looked up at Sheppard, then at the others, his mouth opening and closing a few times before he managed to say, "Okay, this explains a lot."

Rodney tried to formulate a less complicated explanation of the facts before he started speaking. He took a deep breath and said, "We saw the material of the suit move or ripple for lack of a better word, especially when it covered John's mouth and nose or thicken over one of Sheppard's injuries, causing him suffocation or pain. That's not the only thing that suit can do."

He looked at Teyla and Ronon as he said, "The suit can actually morph into different configurations depending upon the need at the moment."

Ronon frowned. "Morph?"

"Yeah, like for underwater use, it could make fins, a face mask and regulator, as we saw up close and personal. For rescue, it would adapt into a configuration again capable of providing an air supply and head cover for the wearer to walk into a burning building or as a rappelling harness and cutting tools for other situations."

He paused, then continued to read. "It's got a force field – that's what we saw when you tried to use your knife. I mean the potential of a suit with capabilities like this is – is mind-boggling. It was originally designed as battle gear, code named 'Invincible', but Damisk moved away from that early on in its design, not activating any of its offensive weapons, other than the laser and that was intended to serve as a tool, not a weapon. He was aiming for something more altruistic, something the Ancients would be more interested in – as in search-and-rescue and/or underwater or space exploration."

He looked at the others, but they only seemed to understand a fraction of what he was telling them. "You guys, this is an amazing advance for something so condensed and compact. I'm sure the Ancients would have had to be impressed with something of this magnitude. I just wonder how Damisk got around the power consumption requirements and – "

Realizing he'd veered off topic, he took a deep breath. "Sorry. This is just so incredible."

He swallowed and tried to go back to relaying the important stuff, instead of extolling the amazing possibilities that went with such a discovery, but before he could, Teyla lifted her chin. "It does seems impressive until one considers the toll it is taking on John."

Reality check, Rodney thought with a cringe, and he sighed. Teyla's comment had taken the proverbial wind out of his sail. He nodded, looking at Sheppard for a long moment. "True, but if Sheppard can come out of it for any length of time, this might be our way out."

Ronon studied him. "What do you mean?"

"With all that at his disposal, Sheppard might be able to make us a way out. We could finally escape this hell hole."

Teyla's frown deepened. "I do not think involving John for that purpose would be wise in his present condition."

Rodney chewed on his lip as he reconsidered his idea. "Yeah, you're probably right, but if I know Sheppard – and I think I do – he won't be able to resist testing at least part of that awesome arsenal of toys this suit comes with. Any one of those capabilities might just be what we need to break out of here."

Rodney caught Teyla's quick glance at Sheppard as he lay so still, her expression tight with worry. After a moment, she looked at Rodney. "Some things are simply too dangerous to consider. But we can discuss this later. If we are to defeat this thing, we will need our rest. Put away your computer for now and get some sleep," she said sternly. "I will take first watch."

Rodney's head popped up. "Let me take it, Teyla."

Confusion marked her tired features. "Rodney, you have to be exhausted after everything that has transpired today."

Rodney shook his head. "No, I won't be able to sleep for a while, not with all of this stuff swirling around inside my head. Besides, I want to do some more reading."

Teyla watched him closely, then yawned and stretched. "Very well, if that is your decision."

"It is."

"All right, the first watch is yours."

Ronon looked at Rodney as he shifted to get more comfortable and said, "Don't fall asleep, McKay. And turn down the lights."

Rodney smiled like he'd won some major debate and said, "Reduce illumination by half."

Then he went back to reading.

**oOoOoOoOo**

**Chapter 9**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

"Ronon, damn it, wake up!"

Ronon recognized that particular blend of fear, frustration and panic echoing in McKay's voice and he knew something was very wrong. McKay's urgency mobilized him, making him move even before he knew what was going on. He was about to open his eyes when he gasped and put a hand to his injured shoulder. The joint screamed from his sudden movement, but he just ground his teeth together, nearly growling as he sat up and drew his weapon.

He paused when he found McKay on the floor in front of him. McKay was in the process of dragging himself toward Sheppard and he'd nearly made it, though he stopped when Ronon had sat up.

"McKay?" Ronon rasped. He lowered the hand holding his weapon, pointing it away as he tried to figure out what the hell was going on.

"It's about time you came to life!" McKay said indignantly.

"What's going on?" Ronon asked quickly as he wiped the sleep from his eyes and holstered his weapon.

He got to his knees, biting his lip against the throbbing in his shoulder. The arm sling Teyla had given him helped some, but the joint still hurt like hell.

"Sheppard was talking in his sleep," McKay said breathlessly, his face reddened from exertion, his fists tight with pain. He attempted to get up from the floor, but failed, so he stayed there, grimacing with a hand on his knee.

Ronon frowned as he tried to follow what McKay was saying. "So? He's been doing that ever since that suit trapped him."

"No, damn it, Ronon! It was more than that!"

Teyla sat up from her pallet on the other side of Sheppard, awakened by McKay's shouts. She blinked against the overhead lights, which were much brighter now, probably because McKay had increased the degree of brightness.

Her movement temporarily distracted Ronon and she asked, "Rodney, what has happened?"

"It's Sheppard," McKay said grimly, then shook his head. "The suit morphed again – into a spacesuit type of contraption. John actually tried to get up, then fell back to the floor."

Ronon didn't say anything as he moved closer to Sheppard who was lying in a crumpled heap. Ronon pulled off his arm sling in irritation and tossed it aside, then turned Sheppard onto his back. By then, Teyla had also moved closer to help him. Between the two of them, they managed to get him situated.

Sheppard's facial muscles were constricted with exertion, his complexion flushed. Ronon put a hand to Sheppard's chest, feeling the short, rapid breaths Sheppard was taking. The bruises on Sheppard's neck above the neckline of his suit had darkened, and they were a disturbing blend of swollen blues, blacks and purples.

McKay moved closer as Ronon and Teyla hovered over Sheppard, sliding up beside Ronon on his way to Sheppard's side. "How is he? He's breathing so fast," he said.

"At least, he is still breathing," Teyla said.

Ronon nodded. Then he noticed McKay's hand reaching out to touch Sheppard's leg, probably to offer his support, too. Without thinking, Ronon put a hand on McKay's arm, stopping him.

He shook his head warily. "Don't touch him, McKay. We don't know what the suit will do since you have the Ancient gene, too."

McKay's mouth gaped open and he jerked his hand away so fast he almost hit himself in the face with it. He stammered, "I – I didn't think, I mean, I was just going to – to..."

Ronon nodded, already turning back to Sheppard. "I know, but it could have ended badly. For now, stay away from the suit. We don't know if it would try to attack you in the same way it did Sheppard and we need you to get him out of it."

McKay nodded rapidly with a dazed, panicked air. Then he paused, staring at the suit. "But there's – there's got to be something we can do! Sheppard's fighting for his life and all we can do is watch, damn it!"

Teyla shook her head, pinning McKay in place with her determined gaze. "Do not be so sure of that, Rodney. On some level, I am sure John hears us, so perhaps our very presence might encourage and strengthen his resolve."

McKay wiped a hand over his face. "Well, that's not doing a whole hell of a lot."

Teyla looked more sure as she straightened her shoulders and said, "It will have to do until you find a way to remove him from this suit."

A wave of doubt swept over McKay's expression. He looked up at Teyla, then Ronon, then back at Teyla again. "What – what if I can't?"

Teyla never hesitated as she dabbed at Sheppard's sweaty face with a towel. "You will."

"I will?"

"Yes, you will, because he is depending on us and we will not let him down."

McKay glanced up at her, his expression conflicted as if he was trying to be strong, trying to be the person Teyla said he was, but his gaze revealed a degree of insecurity rarely seen in the outrageously arrogant Dr. Rodney McKay.

McKay licked his lips, his eyes wide and pleading, and said, "Look, guys, everything I've read so far doesn't say a word about the type of reaction that John is having to the suit. Damisk had an assistant who would regularly put on the suit to test certain applications, such as the various morphing capabilities, the force field, etc, but it was all run-of-the-mill testing, done multiple times with typical annotations – and there was _nothing_ to indicate a problem of this magnitude. Damisk was planning more extensive testing after he'd installed his latest upgrade, but – "

Sheppard moaned softly and his lips moved as if he were speaking in his dream, but no sound came out. Ronon put a hand on Sheppard's arm to help settle him down. Then he shook his head. "McKay, a man died in this suit, so something went wrong with the last person who wore it."

McKay nodded. The tension in the air was palpable and McKay muttered, "Yeah, there is that."

Teyla squeezed Sheppard's arm one more time before she moved away, biting her lip against her obvious discomfort as she settled back on her pallet. Once there, she reached out again to put a hand on Sheppard's arm from her reclining position and kept it there, as if her hold on him would keep him safe.

She glanced at McKay. "Rest a few more hours, Rodney, and then we will begin our search anew. The answer is here somewhere."

Ronon shifted his position beside Sheppard to lean back against the wall. "Both of you get some sleep. I'll take the watch now that I'm awake."

Teyla nodded, her eyelids looking heavy again now that the situation had settled down some. McKay yawned as he nodded, then dragged himself back to his own pallet. "Okay, I'm not gonna argue with you this time. I'm beat."

Ronon watched as McKay settled down. The man took a deep breath and let it out slowly as if trying to relax. It wasn't long before McKay's breathing evened out and he was snoring softly. Teyla was already out, leaving Ronon alone with his thoughts.

Unfortunately, Ronon was tired and wired – tired from everything that had happened and wired from the adrenaline still pumping through his system – and he hated the effect it had on his body. If he'd been on Atlantis, he would have gone for a run or to the gym for a workout. Instead, he was stuck here watching over his friends, leery of what the suit might do to Sheppard or one of them if it was left unattended.

**oOoOoOoOo**

"So, once we hit that layer of especially dense bedrock, the Ancient drill couldn't handle the pace and it overheated, burning out very quickly," Radek explained, his voice soft, as if to avoid Rodney's wrath. "The adaptations we made to make the drill work on ground weren't enough to maintain the demands we were placing on it, so we are back to manually digging out the rock."

Teyla heard Rodney's unvoiced disappointment echo in the silence he maintained as he listened to Radek and she knew it was an ominous sign, one which made her try even harder to carry a sense of calm around her, though it took everything she had to keep up the facade. The news was very frustrating, for all of them, because they had been expecting the rescue in the next few hours, but it wasn't meant to be.

Rodney pinched the bridge of his nose, then shook his head – right before he slammed his crutch into a low shelf full of computer control crystals next to the console and sent them flying everywhere.

Teyla put a hand to Rodney's back, barely touching him, but it was enough to get him to ease off a bit, though he was so mad his hands were shaking. "Okay, okay, I get it. Your team can't get to us, so we're on our own. Big surprise, we've been on our own throughout this whole damned debacle!" he said, waving his hands in the air, as if he was leading some madman's symphony.

He began to pace again, which only caused him more pain, but apparently he needed to work off his excess anxiety. Teyla's heart went out to him, knowing exactly how he felt being limited in movement by a painful, uncooperative limb. The handicap was wearing on her own patience.

"Listen, Radek, just – just shut up for a minute, because you're annoying the hell out of me right now!" Rodney spat out words rapidly, as if they were bullets on an extended spray from his P90.

Rodney resumed his pacing, only to come to a stop beside her. He put a hand on the main computer console, either for support or to take a break from pacing, and remained perfectly still. Stillness from a man like Rodney at a time like this was not good. In fact, it added an element of alarm to the scene that she could have done without.

Teyla cleared her throat, deciding it was time to redirect the conversation back to the issues at hand and said, "Radek, is there no possibility of getting the drill functional again?"

While Radek's voice hadn't matched Rodney's scathing heat, there was enough of it in his reply to make Teyla close her eyes in frustration. "Yes, unfortunately that is the situation... no matter how much of a temper tantrum is thrown because of it. We cannot expect help from that avenue of action. However, the Daedalus will get here as quickly as it possibly can."

Rodney's chin jutted out. "Well, if it's not here right now, it's too damned late!"

He slammed his crutch down again. If he wasn't careful, the crutch was going to splinter apart. She reached out to put a hand over his, but held back when Rodney began pacing again.

Rodney barely noticed her concern as he shouted, "I've already told you Sheppard can't wait that long, damn it! He's trapped in a suit that's squeezing the very air from his lungs. It's not good, okay? It's not good at all. There's got to be another way!"

Lorne's voice took on a deliberate calming tone as he said, "Dr. McKay, we are trying everything we can. I've got our combat engineers working 24/7. Maybe they'll be able to pull off something."

Rodney grunted, but to his credit, he didn't say anything... yet. Teyla knew a tempest was brewing.

Zelenka sighed, then said, "We will continue to work, but I wouldn't hold out for a rescue via that route. Those doors are as sturdy as any blast door I've ever seen on a space ship and the bedrock surrounding the facility is just as formidable."

Rodney's shoulders straightened, his face flushed, and he said, "Well, then why the hell don't you all just go home and stop wasting your time here!"

Radek rushed to say, "Rodney, I did not mean for what I said to be interpreted as we've given up all hope. I was only thinking we must come up with another route to gain entrance – "

"Sure, sure, Radek, you go figure out some mystical trick to pull from your hocus pocus Houdini magic kit while I focus my attention on the real life-and-death issues going on here and try to keep Sheppard alive long enough for the Daedalus to arrive!"

There was silence on both sides of the radio for a moment, their dire situation weighing heavily on everyone. Teyla took a deep breath and put her hand over Rodney's as it rested on the console. Rodney automatically pulled away, then looked angry at himself for rebuking her kindness. He clenched his hand into a fist for a moment before he wiped the back of it across his mouth.

Teyla's voice was soft as she said, "Perhaps, it is time for everyone to pull back a bit and reevaluate. Maybe, we are simply too close to the problem to see alternatives."

Rodney shook his head, then reached up to grab his radio headset from his ear. He threw it onto the console and hobbled away without another word, leaving Teyla alone to deal with Lorne and Zelenka on the radio. There was more than a little guilt echoing in Radek's voice as he said, "I am sorry if anything I said upset you, Rodney."

Teyla glanced at Rodney's back. He'd already made it several feet down one aisle. "He is no longer on the radio, Radek."

"Oh," Radek said.

"I will convey your sentiments to him. You do understand Rodney is under a tremendous strain and he meant very few of the words he said to you?"

"Of course, I do. After all, this is Rodney McKay we are talking about. I try to never let him get under my skin, but I don't always succeed. I apologize for letting my irritation slip earlier. Please tell him I was sorry that I didn't have better news for him."

Radek paused. In Teyla's mind, she could almost see him stop and shake his head, then he said, "No, don't say anything about it at all. Rodney will deal better with it that way."

Lorne took a deep breath and said, "I think you're right, Teyla. None of us has gotten much sleep in the last twenty-four hours."

Radek's voice was quiet as he asked, "Is Colonel Sheppard really as bad off as Rodney indicated?"

Teyla glanced back towards the others. Ashina and John lay motionless beside Ronon, causing the hitch in her breath that caught her by surprise. It made her realize just how intense the emotional storm inside of her was swirling. She swallowed hard, then straightened her shoulders. "The colonel seems stronger, but his struggle is ongoing. It would be better if we could find a different way into this facility rather than wait another thirty hours for the Daedalus to arrive."

"It's actually more like twenty-four hours now," Radek corrected with excitement. "I just received a communique from Atlantis."

Radek's voice now held hope as he continued, "Colonel Caldwell is pushing his engines as hard as he can. He might be able to shave a few more hours off by the time he reaches us."

Teyla smiled. "That is good news, Radek. I will inform Rodney of this development."

She glanced again down the aisle Rodney had taken and couldn't see him any longer. He must have turned in another direction in the endless maze of shelving in this place. There were rows of consoles and work benches, shelving and storage places, all seemingly placed without rhyme or reason.

She heard a noise and turned to see John calling out again in his delirium with Ronon at his side to calm him. She let out a long breath as the good news Radek had just given her now seemed to fade as she watched the sight before her.

Even though Ronon was there beside John in support, their presence seemed like such a little thing to offer in light of John's battle against the suit. She held Ronon's gaze for a long moment before she glanced away and brushed back her hair. She said to Radek, "I will talk to Rodney and get him to eat something, then we will start anew searching the computer for information about this complex and the suit. It is truly amazing how Rodney has been able to clean up the operating system and database to the point where it is now, but the process is slow and tedious. If only we could find the suit's schematics and its accompanying data, Rodney might be able to find a way to shut the suit down without additional delays."

"Well, if anyone can do it, it will be Rodney, though don't tell him I said that, either," Radek murmured softly.

Lorne grunted, then said, "Okay, we'll let you go for now. I'll check back in an hour with a progress report."

"Very well," Teyla said, "We will talk in an hour."

She signed off and began to limp down the aisle to find Rodney. Perhaps, by now his temper had cooled somewhat and he would be more inclined to think things through logically, instead of reacting with his heart. She empathized with him – really, she did. It was nearly impossible for any of them to maintain an emotional calm after watching John battle the suit time after time, especially when John had no other recourse.

And, yet, she knew a clear head was the only way any of them would find a solution to their dilemma.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	11. Chapter 11

Here's another chapter. Thanks to everyone for their encouraging reviews. Now, if I could only get my boss to cut down my work days to something less than 13 hour days sigh But you guys are an inspiration and I thanks for your kind words!

**Chapter Eleven**

Just as Sheppard settled down, Ashina started to move, whimpering quietly in her sleep. If it wasn't one thing, it was another, Ronon told himself with frustration.

Teyla and McKay were deep in discussion with Lorne and Zelenka. Whatever they were saying had pissed McKay off and looked like it was pushing Teyla's patience to the limit.

Ashina continued to move, slowly awakening. Ronon used his fingers to brush across her incredibly soft skin and shushed her the way he did with Torren when he was fussy.

Just as it usually happened with Torren, Ronon found the motion helped to settle himself down, too. Ashina raised her hand and batted at Ronon's hand in a slow, sleepy kind of way, then she put out her arms to be held, all done without actually opening her eyes.

Ronon chewed on his lower lip for a moment before he reached down and gently picked her up, careful not to flare the pain in her side. Once he got her situated in his lap, he rocked her and began to hum a song his mother used to sing to him every night as a child.

Ashina snuggled her cheek against his chest and put a hand up to play with her ear. It reminded Ronon again of Torren, except Torren would play with his hair as he drifted off to sleep.

"I love you, Daddy," she whispered.

Ronon kept rocking her, but he felt strangely out of place. After all, his place was on the battlefront, fighting for the safety of little girls like this one, and not here, holding this delicate being in his arms. He watched her for a long while as her breathing slowed and deepened.

Shaking his head, Ronon looked up in time to see Teyla leave the computer console. She walked off in the direction McKay had gone, and Ronon was almost relieved that she hadn't decided to come over to him. She might have take Ashina and that would have left him a little emptier inside. For some reason, Ashina's presence helped to ground him and give him some sense of normalcy in the middle of all of this madness.

He let out a long breath and looked down at the girl, knowing he would do whatever he could to keep her safe, along with the rest of his team. It was a responsibility he took on without regret. Then he glanced over at Sheppard and wished there was some way for Sheppard to feel the peace and calm that came with holding Ashina in his arms. If he could, it might help steel Sheppard against the fight ahead... and Ronon had no doubt there would be a fight in store for them.

**oOoOoOoOo**

Teyla found Rodney bent over at Damisk's skeleton. He had one hand on his crutch for support with his bad leg dangling in the air behind him for balance as he went through the scientist's pockets. Teyla stopped a short distance from him and waited until he saw her, so that she wouldn't startle him. He glanced up at her a few seconds later, took a deep breath and straightened, looking uncomfortable both in body and spirit.

"How are you doing?" she asked softly.

He shrugged. "I was wondering what else Damisk might have in his pockets. What do you know? There's no plastic pocket protector. I ask you, what kind of scientist is that?" He gave her a slight smile at his attempted humor, then glanced away.

"Did you find anything of interest?" she asked as she neared him.

He nodded, and opened his hand to show her a couple of odd-shaped devices.

"What do they do?" she asked as she stopped in front of him.

"Unfortunately, they didn't come with an instruction manual," he said with a sigh, then he shook his head slightly. "But luckily for you, you have someone who rarely needs an instruction manual. I think one is an actuator of some kind. The other must generate some sort of magnetic field."

Teyla looked at the objects, knowing they meant nothing to her and again she marveled at Rodney's innate intelligence and the gift he had to look at something and know exactly how it worked; it would forever amaze her.

"Why do I get the feeling a battle played out here?" she asked after a moment of glancing around them.

Rodney grunted. "Maybe it's because of all the remnants of violent explosions that inundate this area. Something happened here, that's for sure – something big and messy, gauging by the debris."

When she glanced back up at him, she saw Rodney chewing on his lower lip, his forehead creased. "What is wrong?" she asked.

He looked away, shaking the items in his hand nervously, turmoil revisiting his expression. "Speaking of battles – I... uh... I _might_ owe an apology. So... I'm sorry I went overboard with Zelenka. I know I'm not known for my patience, but even still, Mother Teresa herself would have had issues with Radak's ability to irritate!"

"Rodney, we are all tired and stressed. Do not dwell on it. We have other things to focus on."

"Yeah, well, in the interest of maintaining good relations with the people working to save our lives, I might have to... well, it's possible that... " He took a deep breath and rubbed the back of his neck. "Dammit, I _might_ have to apologize to him, too."

Teyla cleared her throat. "An apology could clear the air," she offered.

Rodney made a sound that could have been a groan, then he went silent.

She frowned when he didn't say any more, his dark mood making her move closer. "What is it, Rodney?"

When he glanced up at her, he turned from her, limping a few steps away, then he stopped and looked back. His clear blue eyes searched her expression for a moment, then he shook his head.

She waited, knowing Rodney would speak when he was ready. She didn't have to wait long. He scrubbed his hands over his face and approached her until they were practically face to face, then said, "Much as it pains me to admit it, I'm not perfect. I just hope... " His eyes flickered back towards Sheppard's direction. "I just hope the one time I can't pull a rabbit out of the proverbial hat, Sheppard doesn't... " He twisted his fingers together. "It's my worst nightmare. Well, that, and the one where Zelenka wins the Nobel Prize instead of me."

She knew this had been the real reason behind Rodney's meltdown with Zelenka earlier. It wasn't his rudeness or arrogance... it was pure worry. She put a hand on Rodney's tac vest, right over his heart and smiled at him, passing along as much strength and encouragement as she could.

"I am sorry that we have had to place so much responsibility on your shoulders," she said softly.

Rodney grunted. "No, no, I can live with responsibility – the price of genius and all – it's just I might not be much good at living with the guilt thing."

He swallowed and looked at her. "Sheppard's saved my life a hundred times, probably more. What if – what if I can't pull this off... " his voice broke and Teyla's heart went out to him.

She let her hand move from his chest to his shoulder. "What if you fail? We will never know if you do not try, but you cannot quit now because you are afraid of failing. That is not the Rodney McKay I have known these many years."

Rodney closed his eyes and let his head drop. He didn't resist as she took him into her arms without a word and hugged him tightly. "You cannot give up," she whispered into his ear.

"You sound like Sheppard," he said with a sigh.

She pulled back, catching his eye. "I can live with that," she replied with a smile. "Or would you prefer I sound like Ronon at a moment like this?"

There was a quick chuckle, then Rodney shook his head. "No, not at all. He'd be on my ass for wasting time."

The cloud of gloom descended over him again. She reached up and put a hand on his cheek. "No, you are not wasting time. You have become so focused on saving John that all you can see is a possibly negative outcome rather than the task at hand, but you can overcome that. You will find your way through this, of that I have no doubt."

Rodney looked a little uncomfortable, so she pulled away a bit. He nodded and started fidgeting. She figured he was moments away from moving again when he stopped and looked at her with a puzzled expression. He said, "Must be nice always knowing the right thing to say."

Teyla grunted and rolled her eyes. "Rodney, you obviously have not do not recall the many times when I have stepped on my own tongue."

Rodney shook his head. "Yeah, but you always work it out. Me, on the other hand, I drown in a pool of my own making."

He frowned as if deeply vexed, then looked up at her again. "I never thought about it before, but we are about as far as apart as emotionally as any two people can be, polar opposites, if you will, but... "

Teyla smiled and finished his sentence. "... but we thrive as friends and teammates. There is no other way I would want it to be."

He looked into her eyes for a long while, then finally nodded and straightened his shoulders, as if something that had been broken in his spirit had fixed itself and the sight gave her immeasurable strength.

He nodded slightly. "Yeah, me, too. There's an old Earth saying, _Winners never quit and quitters never win_, so I guess I better get back to work if we are going to win this one. Come on."

He gestured for her to go ahead of him. She stepped forward, still drawing from what she had seen of Rodney's inner strength and prayed it would be enough to save them all.

**oOoOoOoOo**

Teyla had listened to Ashina speak to her parents on the radio, relieved that Ashina was up to talking. It was a session healing in nature for the whole family. Finally, it was only Methet and Teyla speaking when Ashina drifted off to sleep and Jisef was called away.

Methet said, "Ashina's talking so much more now."

Teyla nodded. "I know, it is very encouraging."

"I wish the efforts to get to your location were just as encouraging," Methet said softly, and Teyla knew the woman was close to tears again.

"Be strong, Methet. Ashina needs your strength right now. One way or another, we will be out of here soon."

"Thank you, Teyla, for everything you are doing for our daughter. I know things are not easy for you right now with your own injury and Colonel Sheppard's situation. All of you are in my prayers."

"Thank you, Methet. I have no doubt they are helping. I will be in radio contact with you again in an hour."

"Be well, Teyla, and kiss Ashina for me when she's awake next time."

"I will. Go rest, Methet, you sound exhausted. We will be fine. Teyla out."

Teyla clicked off her radio and leaned back, sighing deeply. She felt the pain of Ashina's parents creep into her own heart, as if the ache they felt originated in hers. How could they not be in turmoil? The full extent of Ashina's medical condition was unknown, and she was trapped with strangers in a situation where she'd already been injured once.

"Won't give up, so quit while you're ahead... " John's tightly uttered words interrupted Teyla's thoughts.

Sitting beside John as she held Ashina in her arms, Teyla glanced down toward him and placed a hand over John's clutched fist. Nothing about John's appearance gave her any peace. It seemed he was lost in another contest of wills and it had been like that for a while now... at least that was what Ronon said before he handed the watch over to her and went to help Rodney.

John had spent most of the night whispering, threatening, standing his ground against whatever the suit was trying to get him to do. Obviously, John didn't want any part of it.

His face suddenly scrunched up with emotion, then he said, "I said leave me the hell alone!"

Teyla's hand trailed up his arm and found the muscles there were tightly bunched. The strain on him was immense and she sought to offer her support. "John, stay strong. You can defeat this thing. We are here for you."

John nodded tightly as if in reply and his response startled Teyla. She squeezed his arm. "John, can you hear me?"

Again, there was another deliberate nod and Teyla could see the muscles in John's jaw twitch with tension. Teyla looked around for Ronon and Rodney, but they were both busy. She set Ashina on the pallet beside her, and moved closer. "John, what can I do to help you?"

John didn't move for a long moment, then he opened his eyes a little to look up at her. The dimmed light of the facility made his hazel eyes stand out like black obsidian against his pale skin, his fierce determination giving them a glowing luster of their own. She reached out and took his hand again. "John?"

He swallowed and let out a long breath. "Water," he said hoarsely.

Teyla nodded and grabbed a bottle from the duffel bag, removing its lid, then held the bottle up to his lips. She hadn't noticed earlier how dry and chapped they looked. It was another sign of the extended battle John had been fighting. By the Ancestors, it had been nearly twenty-fours hours since his ordeal had begun. No food, very little water, with only resolve and stubbornness to keep him going.

He closed his eyes with relief as he began to drink and didn't stop until the bottle was half empty. Finally, she pulled it away and wiped at the dribble that escaped down his chin.

John closed his eyes and relaxed against the pallet beneath him. Teyla squeezed his hand again. "It seems as if you are gaining some ground against the suit. You sound much stronger now than when the suit first trapped you."

He nodded and opened his eyes again. There was a deep weariness in them. He let out a short breath and rasped, "Maybe a little. It isn't easy."

He tried to sit up, but all he managed to do was raise his head off the floor. Teyla scooted over, so that he could put his raised head down to rest against her uninjured thigh. "We have been very worried about you."

"I know. I heard some of the conversations," he said as he licked his lips.

"Are you hungry? I have some power bars – " she started.

John cleared his throat and nodded. "Not really hungry, but I guess I need to eat something to keep me going."

She unwrapped a power bar and held it to his lips. "Chocolate chip... your favorite."

He smiled wanly and reached up to take it from her. "Thanks, but I can do it." His voice was barely above a whisper.

As he took a bite, she asked, "Why is the suit causing you such pain?"

John's gaze went distant as he chewed for a moment, then he said, "The suit can get me where it hurts the most and then it won't let up... it just doesn't take no for an answer."

He started to take a deep breath, but the breath caught in his chest. He shifted a little to one side, holding a hand over his hip, and a low groan slipped out. She could see the suit ripple as it shifted to thicken at his hip. Without looking at her, he spoke through gritted teeth and said, "Like right now. This thing doesn't know how to make friends or play nice."

She squeezed his hand and he squeezed back, his eyes tightly closed. "If only there was something I could do to help you," she whispered.

After several seconds, he sighed and relaxed, his breathing fast and shallow, his head heavy against her thigh. "Well, that was fun," he said hoarsely.

He looked down at the crumpled remnants of his power bar still in his hand. The rest had fallen to the floor. He grunted and brought what was left in his hand to his lips. After a long moment of internal debate, he shook his head and handed what was left of his power bar back to her. "I'll try again later."

Teyla frowned as she took the scraps from him and leaned over to catch his eye. "What is happening? Why the tremendous strain on you?"

John's expression turned angry. "The damned thing is trying to control me, to control my movements, trying to force me into cooperating. And, somehow, it's inside my head, talking to me."

Teyla sat up a little straighter. "The suit talks to you?"

"Yeah, not quite sure how, but I can hear it inside my head."

"Do not worry about it now," Teyla said as she brushed her fingers against his cheek. "Rest while you can. You are weary."

John sighed. "Tired I can deal with. This is different... it's like it's sapping energy from me like some damned iratus bug."

"For what purpose?"

John shook his head and waved a hand limply in the air. "Hell, if I know, but I can feel it weaken me as it gets stronger."

Teyla shook her head in confusion. "But, surely, it must know that once it exhausts you, you will succumb, and then it will be without an energy source again."

John bit his lip for a moment before continuing, "I don't know... we haven't really had any_ 'heart to heart'_ talks yet. It's mostly been_ 'submit' _over and over."

His voice was raspy and if the dark bruises on his neck were any indication, there was probably some damage to his larynx from the suit's earlier attempted strangulation. John sighed, his eyelids drifting shut again. "There's some sort of artificial intelligence going on here and it only wants things its way like some spoiled brat..." his voice broke off as he gasped and curled into a fetal position.

Teyla felt the suit's material ripple under her fingers again. It was moving against John's ribs like some type of relentless torture machine.

"Geez," he muttered when he could talk again. He swallowed hard, then straightened to roll onto his back. "I guess it doesn't like that I don't want to play."

Teyla did the only thing she could; she put her hands over John's and held on to him tightly. "Be strong. Rodney is working hard to find information that will aid us in defeating the suit and freeing you."

John cleared his throat. "Well, I'm doing my best to be a thorn in its side."

He gasped again and winced, tucking his chin to his chest until the pain eased.

"Tell Rodney... " John said as he shifted again and closed his eyes, seeming much more frail now. He was practically whispering as he said, "Tell him to hurry."

She brushed her fingers across his stubbled cheek as his muscles went slack again and she hoped he was sleeping, but she feared that sleep was something none of them would see much of until they were back on Atlantis.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Rodney drank from his bottle of water as he rested on a box near Ashina and Sheppard. Ashina was asleep, as was Sheppard. Ronon was with Teyla at the main computer console while Rodney was taking a much needed break.

Rodney shook the objects he'd found in Damisk's pockets in his hand like they were an oversized set of dice. He was pretty sure the larger of the two was a handheld magnetic field generator and the other was an actuator or control device for... something.

He'd just been through the reconstructed section of the computer database on his tablet computer again for any sort of reference to the devices, but surprisingly there was nothing – then again, the database was far from being complete.

The objects in his hand intrigued Rodney far more than the database at the moment. Deep down, he knew the objects must have held some sort of significance for Damisk, just by the fact that they'd been in Damisk's pockets. Then again, Damisk could have picked them up in a fit of housecleaning, putting them there without purpose or importance, and then he died with them there.

"Rodney," Teyla called to him, motioning for him to come to her.

Her broad smile told him she was onto something. He shifted the objects to a tac vest pocket as he picked up his crutch and made his way over to her.

"What is it?" he asked, wishing for the umpteenth time that he could move faster.

She gestured toward the computer screen with one hand. "I completed the cleanup program you asked me to run on this file and have uncovered something of interest."

Rodney glanced at it, then moved closer, his mouth dropping open. "What's this? A reference to an escape route? Holy crap, Teyla, you may have quite possibly found a way out of this hell hole! Seriously, this could be the very thing we've been looking for."

Teyla's expression was weary and pale, but her eyes sparkled with excitement as she said, "I hope it is."

Her smile waned as she rubbed at her thigh with one hand. "I need something to drink and some pain medication or else I will be of no further help to you. May I get you something, too?"

Rodney shook his head, engrossed in what he was reading. "No, no, I'm fine," he murmured, then began to sort the information in a different way that might bring other related data to light. In reality, it was only a reference, but if it were true...

"Stay here, I'll get it for you, Teyla," Ronon offered and took off before she could say anything.

"Thank you, Ronon," Teyla called out after him and then she started following Ronon. "Ronon, could you also bring back some power bars and water?"

Ronon came to a stop beside the supplies and looked back at her with a smirk. "Yeah, sure. Hey, Teyla, you're getting pretty good at working those computers. McKay must be slipping if you found this before he did."

Rodney lifted a finger in Ronon's direction. "It was under my direction, so I can still claim victory."

Teyla chuckled, then said, "Only if it proves to be true. At the moment, there is but the possibility of an escape route."

Ronon nodded. "You think you can find it, McKay?" he asked as he stretched his sore shoulder carefully.

Teyla smiled at Rodney and before he could answer, she said, "If it is something that has any likelihood of being found, Rodney will find it."

"Well, thank you, Teyla, for that vote of confidence. Ronon could learn a thing or two from you," Rodney said as he waited for the sorting to be completed. At least now he knew what terminology to search for. The reference indicated it had something to do with the ventilation system – exactly what had yet to be discovered.

Ronon grabbed a couple of bottles of water and then reached into the med kit. Teyla said, "Ronon, could you please bring some power bars back with you?"

He nodded. Once his hands were loaded with supplies, he headed back to Teyla but before he reached her, Sheppard suddenly rose to his feet and shouted, "Damn it, kill me or set me free!"

Rodney spun around just as Ronon and Teyla stopped in their tracks. Sheppard's battles with the suit were becoming more and more involved. The suit's response was swift and severe, because John then dropped to his knees with both arms wrapped around his chest. He fell onto his side, rolling back and forth, not even trying to suppress his groans.

Ronon and Teyla started in Sheppard's direction with Ronon running ahead while Teyla limped along. Rodney grabbed his crutch and began to hobble toward them at an insane pace, his focus solely on Sheppard. Ronon reached Sheppard's side first, dropping the water and power bars to one side as he knelt and put a hand to Sheppard's forearm.

Without warning, Ronon seized up as if he was caught in an electrical current. Rodney blinked in confusion_. What the hell? _

The seizure seemed to last for an eternity, but in reality it was only a few seconds. Teyla reached Ronon by then and she didn't stop until she had pushed Ronon away from Sheppard, using her cane so that she wouldn't also be caught by the same electrical current. Ronon collapsed into a gasping heap.

Teyla reached down and pulled Ronon closer toward her – and further away from John and the suit. Rodney stopped where he was, rooted in place, as he watched Sheppard roll onto his side toward Ronon and Teyla. John's expression held heartbreak and guilt as he stared at Ronon for a moment before a murderous rage came over him.

"This is between you and me, damn it!" John shouted, rage energizing his movements as he got to his feet again. He swayed wildly as he added, "And leave my friends the hell alone!"

Every move John made seemed monumental. He took a deep breath, his hands in fists that he held at his sides. "You... will... not... hurt... them!" John said through clenched teeth as he forced his hands up and out.

There was something in Sheppard's expression that caused a shiver to run down Rodney's spine – something dark and hard. It was that same certain something that Sheppard could summon up when his back was against the wall and the situation called for drastic measures. And it was also the same something Rodney was sure he'd never have inside of him no matter how long or how hard he tried.

Rodney watched open-mouthed, unable to pull his gaze away. Sheppard swallowed hard, his jaw twitching from his efforts, his muscles straining as if he were struggling to push off a great weight, then he raised his head and caught Rodney's eye.

Many things passed between the two men in that instant – things that went beyond words, went beyond duty and obligation, and tasted of friendship, loyalty and camaraderie and so much more. The exchange left Rodney almost dizzy.

Rodney tightened his grip on his crutch, then he lifted his chin as his gaze narrowed, and said, "You can do this, John! Use that insufferable stubbornness of yours to drive it back!"

Sheppard nodded, then closed his eyes, and his body tightened, seeming to pull itself in before he pushed out with both hands and he said, "LET ME GO!"

Nothing happened for a long moment, then John groaned. It sounded as if his soul was being wrenched away from his body. In the brief pause before Sheppard drew his next breath, Rodney forced himself forward, not quite sure how to help, but he was afraid that if he didn't move right then, he wouldn't be able to move at all. From somewhere deep inside of him, he was sure Sheppard had either just won or was about to die.

John put out a hand in the general direction of his teammates, then collapsed, landing just short of Ronon and Teyla. Rodney was stunned by what he'd just witnessed and he waited for Sheppard to either move or breathe or show some sign he was still alive, but all he did was lie there motionless.

Teyla was already with Ronon, putting herself between Ronon and Sheppard, and Rodney felt so damned helpless. No, worse than helpless, because he couldn't even bring himself to kneel down and check on Sheppard. Hell, he couldn't even let himself get within two meters of him. Mostly, because Ronon's words kept playing over and over inside his head, haunting him. _Don't touch him. You don't know what the suit will do._

No, all Rodney could do was hold his breath and wait for Teyla to pronounce both Ronon and Sheppard dead. Her fingers went to check Ronon's pulse and Rodney's heart leapt when she closed her eyes in evident relief. Glancing up at Rodney, she nodded quickly, then moved over to Sheppard.

As Teyla started to reach out toward John's hand, she hesitated, and looked up at Rodney with a quick troubled glance. Understanding her apprehension all too well, he shook his head. "No, you're right. Don't touch him yet. We don't know who's in control at the moment."

Then John stirred, startling both her and Rodney. John took in a long breath and he raised his head as he looked in Ronon's direction. Worry and concern deepened the weary lines in his expression as he asked, "Ronon, is he – is he... "

Teyla leaned closer to catch his eye. "He is alive."

She started to reach out toward him, but her hand stopped in mid-air again, her expression dark, as if she despised her fear right then, and Rodney swallowed, knowing exactly how she felt.

Sheppard nodded as he tried to even out his breathing. "It's okay, Teyla. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine – " he paused, his hand going to his ribs, and he exhaled a long sigh.

With more trust and bravery than Rodney had inside of him, Teyla stretched forward to frame John's cheek with her hand. Sheppard's eyes closed with her touch, then they opened again. As he looked around, he noticed Rodney's presence once again and nodded to him in acknowledgment.

Rodney was practically shaking from the adrenaline rush that still pumped through his system and he did what he usually did when he was nervous or upset – he started talking. He looked from Ronon to Sheppard, gesturing wildly with his hands. "Damn, what was all that? I mean, you were... and the suit was... and I thought for sure Ronon was... of course, I'm relieved that he's not and it's good to see you up. I'd shake your hand in congratulations, but in light of recent events... "

His gaze went over to Ronon as his voice trailed off. Sheppard glanced at Ronon, too. That broken expression of his was back, the one bereft of everything except pain, guilt and regret. Rodney's breath caught in his chest and he bit his tongue, wishing he could pull his last words back – damn his infernal mouth anyway – but it was too late... he'd already reminded Sheppard of Ronon's situation and his part in it.

Not knowing what else to do, Rodney swallowed and adjusted his grip on his crutch, then in a much more reserved tone, he said, "He's alive, John. He's alive, so give yourself a break here." He tried to catch Sheppard's eye and softened his voice even more. "It's not like you did it on purpose."

John glanced away and his expression scrunched in torment. When he looked up at Rodney, he'd schooled most of his reaction, though his hazel eyes were still dark with emotion. "I didn't exactly stop it from happening, either, Rodney."

Rodney stepped closer to him, but not too close. "It wasn't your fault. Just like it wasn't your fault that Teyla and Ashina were hit by laser fire. Shit happens."

"Not this kind of shit, Rodney. This thing with Ronon was something I could have stopped if – if I'd been stronger."

Teyla checked again on Ronon, then turned toward John and took his hand in hers. "He will be fine, John. Really, he will be. I think he is more stunned than anything else."

She kept her other hand on Ronon's chest. "His breathing and his heart rate are returning to normal."

Rodney thought, _Unlike Sheppard, who is puffing like a locomotive._

Sheppard shook his head. "It still doesn't excuse – "

"Shush," she said softly. "Let me see how you are doing. Are you all right – "

Teyla stiffened, and for a moment, Rodney was afraid the suit had zapped Teyla like it had done with Ronon, then she blinked a couple of times and drew closer to John. "John, the suit... has it lost its hold on you?"

Sheppard's eyes widened in realization. He held up his hands and looked at them in wonder. He made a fist, then sighed deeply and nodded. "It's not talking inside my head anymore and it's not causing me pain. I can move on my own. It's hard to believe, but it feels like it's... gone."

Rodney smirked. "You were so pissed at what it did to Ronon that you probably caused its program to delete itself."

Sheppard grunted, then looked puzzled. "I'm not sure quite what happened. It's been kicking my ass for so long, but then when I stood my ground and pushed back... it went dead on me."

Rodney stepped closer. "It's just a thought – and this is probably too much to hope for – but maybe you could try to use the mental component of your ATA gene to _think_ the suit off of you?"

As Rodney's idea took root, Sheppard inhaled slowly, then closed his eyes and concentrated. He opened them a few moments later, shaking his head. "No, but it was worth a shot."

Ronon moaned softly, drawing everyone's attention back to him. Sheppard sat up and moved until he was kneeling beside Ronon, obviously needing to check on Ronon's condition himself, but when Ronon opened his eyes and saw Sheppard leaning over him, he lashed out and struck Sheppard squarely on the jaw.

John fell back, landing on his bad hip and he rolled onto his back, hissing in pain. Meanwhile, Ronon was on the move. He had escaped Teyla's outstretched hand to stop him and got to his feet in a daze, though by the way he was staggering, he looked like he'd be unable to stay upright for very long.

Rodney moved to intercept him, then instantly regretted his action as he thought better of it. He was no competition for Ronon when Ronon was himself and aware of his surroundings – now with Ronon so confused, who knew what the Satedan would do to him?

Yet, Rodney licked his lips and stood his ground, still uncertain of what to do next when Ronon balled up a fist and rasped, "Back away."

Rodney put out his hands and said, "Look, no weapons. I can back away – I can definitely back away... if that's what you really want me to do."

Without warning, Ronon dropped to his knees and put a hand to his head as if he were trying to push away his weakness and grogginess. By then, Rodney was very near to him. Rodney could hear Teyla behind him, trying to stand. She wouldn't be able to get up in time. This was all up to him.

Rodney made a show of tossing his crutch aside, and then he put up both hands as he took an awkward limping step toward him. Rodney's knee almost gave out on him, but he had to keep going. He didn't have any choice. He had to calm Ronon down before he did something stupid like attack one of them. Normally, Sheppard did these kinds of things or Teyla even. Rodney wasn't very good at it, but there was no one else around, so Ronon would just have to listen to him.

"Easy, buddy," Rodney said, trying to sound like Sheppard. "We're all friends here."

Ronon squinted and looked up at Rodney, then his focus narrowed and he stared at Rodney, clearly confused. "McKay, what the hell is going on?"

Rodney stopped, glanced in John's direction as John struggled for consciousness and sighed. He shook his head for a moment, and then looked back at him and said honestly, "You know, I'd really like to know the answer to that one myself."

**oOoOoOoOo**

Ronon kept flexing his right hand, making a fist with it and then releasing it. It was the hand that had touched Sheppard's suit and had been the contact point for the electrical charge he'd received. His hand was still numb in certain areas and his palm was red and tender, despite the fact the incident happened a few hours before.

He caught Teyla watching him as they stood around the computer console while McKay did an expanded search for references to their mysterious escape route. Teyla looked like she was about to say something when Sheppard frowned and muttered, "Never thought I'd see the day where a computer system could kick your ass, McKay."

McKay erupted with much more than his usual drama, "Ah, come on, John, that's not fair! It's not like this is a normal search on a fully functional computer. I've had to snatch uncategorized bits of information and compile them into something useful!"

McKay stood as far to one side of the computer console as he could and still be able to use it. Sheppard was at the opposite end of the console, making sure to keep his distance from McKay. They'd all agreed that Sheppard shouldn't get close to McKay while Sheppard was in the suit, but Sheppard had gone one step further and kept his distance from all of them. Sheppard looked worn out. He needed to be resting.

"It's not your fault, Rodney. I'm not saying it's your fault at all. I just meant I've never seen you so perplexed by a computer system before," Sheppard said in a calming way, putting up both hands. He was about to say more when Zelenka's voice came over McKay's radio in his tac vest. "Rodney?"

McKay made a face as he patted to the radio to activate it. "Yes, Radek," McKay said with a voice that warned of severe penalties if the situation didn't warrant interrupting him.

Radek didn't bother to acknowledge McKay's bad mood. Instead, he continued. "We went over the data regarding this facility in Atlantis's database with a fine tooth comb and didn't find any reference to it, so I think Damisk must have done the whole thing on his own, which is really quite phenomenal when you stop and think about everything involved."

"Oh, for crying out loud, Radek, if you didn't find anything, why the hell are you calling to disturb me!" McKay snapped back.

"It was time for a check in, Doc," Lorne said, interrupting what would no doubt have turned into another extended and caustic McKay/Zelenka debate. "I've had some of our people with the locals searching for a manmade opening to the surface, something the old folklore tells about and we think we might have found it, but the area has a lot of debris and vegetation around it. We won't know more until we dig it out. With the storm system still hanging over our heads, it isn't going to be easy."

"Opening to the surface?" Sheppard asked, his interest in the conversation suddenly mushrooming.

"That's what it looks like," Zelenka answered. "I would imagine it's probably something to do with the ventilation system for the facility."

McKay turned toward Sheppard. "The escape route," they said with excitement.

"Escape route?" Zelenka asked.

"Yes, we've found references to an escape route out of the facility, something to do with the ventilation system." McKay frowned, then pinched the bridge of his nose. "And, of course, that would be easy if there was only one central ventilation shaft, but this place is so huge, there has to be at least a dozen different ones funneling throughout the system. The problem will be deciding which one is the right one. I'm trying to run an advanced search program I wrote to see if I can uncover more specifics. Though, given the way there are multiple security protocols for every damned thing possible in this place, it's probably a fool's errand."

Zelenka took a deep breath. "Well, I was thinking – "

"That always gets you into trouble," McKay muttered.

"Just be quiet for a moment, Rodney, and listen to me, if that's even possible. If I'm not mistaken, the security protocols, when activated, would be designed to keep something in, and not out, right? So, there are probably far less security measures that would prevent us from entering through the ventilation system compared to the ones in place to keep you from getting out. If we could locate an opening, we might be able to break through via that route."

McKay's mouth dropped open and he nodded. "Yes, of course, of course. Well, Radek, you do justify the need for your presence occasionally! Get to work on it!"

There was a pause, then came the sarcasm in Zelenka's tone, but it was also tinged with pride as he said, "You're welcome, Rodney."

Lorne's voice held a smile, too, as he said, "Yes, sir, will do. We'll check back in an hour," then they signed off.

Sheppard bent down to rest his elbows against a work bench and sighed with relief. Ronon sighed, too, but he straightened when he caught sight of something at the back of Sheppard's neck. Suddenly apprehensive, Ronon walked closer. Sheppard put up a hand to stop him when Ronon got too close. "Hold up, Ronon. What's the matter?"

Ronon frowned and gestured with one hand as he said, "Turn around. I need to look at the back of your neck."

Sheppard's expression turned troubled. "Why? What did you see?"

"Just turn around and let me get a closer look before I say anything."

Sheppard didn't move right away, but finally he sighed and turned around. Ronon took another step closer. By then, McKay and Teyla had stepped up behind him. Ronon chewed on his lip for a moment, then pointed. "There, where the suit ends at the back of his neck, right up against his hairline, do you see it?" he asked quietly.

McKay swallowed and took another small step closer, but he lingered behind Ronon's sphere of protection. Finally, he must have been able to see what Ronon was referring to, because he said, "Oh, that can't be good."

"What? What do you see?" Sheppard asked, his hand going to touch the back of his neck. After his fingers brushed over the area, he stopped and looked back at Ronon. "It feels like something is poking into my skin."

Teyla moved closer, apparently without fear because it never showed in her face. She stopped just short of touching him and looked for herself. "It appears the suit has embedded itself into the skin of your neck, perhaps even into your nervous system."

"Crap," Sheppard said simply. "Why didn't you notice this before?"

McKay rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right, like we weren't already doing a hundred different things... you mean we were supposed to roll you over and check the back of your neck? Sorry, I didn't get that memo!"

Teyla shook her head. "It is not something that I noticed earlier. Perhaps, this is a recent development?"

Everyone looked at McKay to answer that question, but he just threw his hands into the air and said, "I may know a lot of things, but I'm just as in the dark about this as the rest of you!"

Sheppard licked his lips and asked in a low tone, "What now?"

McKay scratched the back of his neck, as if checking to make sure he didn't have any similar attachments, then sighed with relief when he apparently found none. McKay shook his head, getting back into the conversation and said, "Maybe that would explain why you were battling to control your movements."

Then McKay waved a pointed finger at Sheppard. "This suit isn't going to just come off of you, it's gotta disconnect itself from you first, disconnect from your nervous system."

"Well, can't you remove it? Cut it out or something?" Sheppard asked nervously.

McKay shook his head. "That might kill you, depending on how integrated it is into your spinal cord."

Sheppard scratched at his forehead. He took a few steps away, putting some distance between them again. "Well, we'll just deal with that when we have to. Right now, we've got to find that escape route while we can."

Teyla put a hand on Sheppard's arm. "John, you do not think the suit might somehow regain control, do you?"

Sheppard's expression tightened, then relaxed, but his eyes still held the remnants of apprehension. As if sensing she had seen more than he wanted, Sheppard looked away and shook his head. "Not at the moment. I don't feel anything from it. It's like it died or short-circuited or something."

The silence grew more awkward until McKay sighed and said, "That interface at the back of your neck explains how you were able to hear it talking to you." He paused and looked up at Sheppard, as if searching for something positive to say amidst all the grim things they'd just discovered. "There are some really cool things that suit can do, though. If we can get it to work for us instead of against us, we might be able to get out of here a hell of a lot faster than waiting another eighteen hours for the Daedalus to arrive."

Teyla shook her head. "Rodney, now is not the time – "

McKay turned to Sheppard, despite the withering look she gave him. "Seriously, John, this suit does a lot of the same kind of things that I was able to do after... well, you know, after I was caught by the ascension machine and was transformed."

Sheppard gave him a sharp glance. "If you think I'm going to try to ascend to get out of this damned suit, you're crazier than I am."

"No, no, no, that's not what I meant. Just wait until you hear about the abilities I've found out about the suit so far. It's like a Superman suit – well, it looks more like a Batman suit, but with Superman's powers."

When Sheppard stared at him in bewilderment, McKay plunged forward. "Okay, listen, just forget about the comic book references – this suit is beyond incredible!"

Teyla put a hand on John's back. "Are you sure you should not be resting? It was only a short time ago that you were struggling for your life."

Ronon knew what Teyla was doing, trying to divert his attention away from McKay and his bubbling excitement. Sheppard shook his head emphatically. "No, I was held prisoner by that thing for over a day. I want to keep moving to remind myself I'm free of it."

Teyla stared at him with her best discerning gaze and Ronon felt for Sheppard. After a moment, Sheppard wilted a little under the pressure. "Well, I'm not free of the suit itself, just its control."

He took a deep breath and let out slowly. "And, yeah, okay, I may be sore in more than a couple of places, and bone tired, of course, but overall I'm good. We're gonna find a way out of here, Teyla, and if I can help in some way, I'm going to do it."

"Super strength," McKay whispered and Sheppard turned toward him.

When he held Sheppard's gaze, he continued, "Personal force field."

Teyla sighed as McKay said under his breath, "The suit can morph into all kinds of really cool designs."

"Yeah? Like what?"

"Underwater scuba gear, full scale search-and-rescue setup, and that's just the beginning."

"No way."

McKay grinned. "Way."

Ronon bopped McKay on the back of the head and growled, "McKay, cut it out."

Rodney frowned at him and rubbed the spot with one hand. "You really have no concept of what the words _head injury_ mean, do you? Geez..."

Teyla shook her head adamantly. "John, nothing good can come of using this suit."

Sheppard put up a hand to stop her. "If it can get Ashina to Keller and the infirmary on Atlantis any earlier, then I'm all for it."

Teyla reached out to touch Sheppard's arm and he automatically stepped away from her, as if still trying to protect her from possible harm. That reflected more of his true suspicions about the suit than any of his denials had done. She kept her hand extended. "John, you must not use any of the suit's capabilities for fear of bringing that program back online."

Sheppard nodded. "I understand your point, but I'm not getting any indication the artificial intelligence in this suit is still active. I tell you something happened to it, because it's not there now, not in any shape or form."

Teyla eyed him intently, then glanced over at Ronon. Ronon simply shrugged. It seemed way too convenient for the suit's program to suddenly stop working like it did, even with Sheppard's strong stubborn streak, but then they'd seen more bizarre things than this happen before.

Nonetheless, Ronon casually glanced down at his weapon to check its setting. He had no qualms about using it to protect Ashina and his friends. He chewed on his lip when he realized he wasn't quite sure how to classify Sheppard's current status. He was a friend, of course, but with that damned suit on, well, Ronon wanted to be ready in case he suddenly became a foe.

**oOoOoOoOo**

**Chapter 12**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

Rodney fiddled with the control crystals in his hands, then made a decision. He gestured toward the computer console. "You've got this data search under control, Ronon. I need to check the integrity of these crystals."

Ronon shot him an apprehensive gaze. "Uh, you sure about that?"

"You mean, am I sure about leaving you alone with the computer?" Rodney asked, then waved his hand impatiently as he turned away. "Yes, of course, I'm sure. I wouldn't have made the statement if I wasn't sure. Besides, the way this database is screwed up, there's not much harm you can do to it... and I need to have those files sorted before I can hit the next section. You can handle it."

Ronon tapped his fingers on the side of the console for a moment and Rodney caught the nervous movement. "So, you don't want to do it if you can't shoot it, pummel it, or in kill it? Come on, Ronon, there's more to you than that. You can do this."

Ronon swallowed and nodded after a moment, then he began typing on the keyboard. Rodney smiled to himself at what he'd gotten the big guy to do... if only he had a camera to capture the moment. Ronon on a computer. Stranger things could happen, but Rodney was pretty sure he didn't want any part of them. Besides, Ronon_ was _capable of doing the work and it might give him a better impression of what Rodney did on a regular basis.

Rodney sat down with a lot of effort and started going through a box of crystals, finding most of them useless. He glanced over to where Sheppard was resting. They had tried to get the suit to morph again without success. Apparently, John was correct when he said the suit was dead. It wasn't responding to even the most basic commands. Teyla was quite relieved when they'd stopped attempting to get the suit to work again.

It was disappointing they couldn't make use of the suit's more impressive systems, but it was a hell of a lot better than having Sheppard battle against the suit for hours on end. The man looked exhausted and Rodney wondered how he was able to keep moving. Then he remembered this was Sheppard. He had stores of stamina that would even make the Energizer bunny jealous.

Sheppard was beside Teyla and Ashina on pallets. Ashina slept ninety-nine percent of the time and the five percent she was awake was not unpleasant, though Rodney worried about the reason behind her need for so much sleep. He hoped it wasn't anything serious. The kid was kind of growing on him.

Rodney's stomach rumbled and he decided it was time to retrieve the power bar he'd tucked away earlier, but when he went to get it, he found Damisk's personal recorder was also in the same pocket.

"Oh, crap," Rodney whispered, then in a louder tone, he said, "I forgot all about this thing."

"What's that?" Ronon asked as he stopped working and looked down at Rodney.

"Damisk's personal recorder. Maybe there's something there that we can use as long as it doesn't fry my fingers again. I swear every one of them are blistered."

Very carefully, Rodney accessed the recorder's entries. When nothing painful happened, he decided there must have been some type of glitch that made it spark and burn his fingers the last time he held it. Still, it didn't hurt to be cautious. Holding the device carefully, he started reading.

After several minutes, Rodney stopped short. He'd hit the mother lode of information about the suit. There were data files filled with the suit's schematics and other related information, then as he continued to skim the various topics, Rodney's mouth went dry and he fumbled to take a sip from his water bottle.

When he started to read again, he put his bottle of water on the box beside him, only to realize after the fact that he'd missed the box completely. The bottle was now lying on its side on the floor. He didn't bother to pick it up again or even right it. What he was reading was far too disturbing to bother with anything else.

Ronon bent down to retrieve the bottle, but Rodney was barely aware of his movements. "Crap, Ronon, Sheppard is so screwed," he whispered as his gaze darted up from the recorder.

Ronon studied him with apprehension. "What's going on?"

Rodney swallowed hard. "Damisk was terrified that the suit's artificial intelligence had become too dominant, but he couldn't find anything that had a chance of controlling it until he started working with electromagnetic fields."

Rodney stared at the recorder and realized the suit was so much more of a threat than they ever could have imagined. He looked up when his arm was shaken roughly and saw Ronon kneeling in front of him. "Talk to me, McKay."

Rodney opened and closed his mouth several times, but no words came out. When they finally came, they came very quickly. "This is bad, Ronon. Really, really bad."

Ronon met his troubled gaze. "Shouldn't we tell the others about it?"

Rodney shook his head before he realized he was doing it. "No, no, not yet. Let me read a little more. I need to track down specific information first, answers to questions I know John will ask."

Ronon didn't move away, opting instead to stay at Rodney's side. Soon, Rodney lost all awareness of what was going on around him. As he continued to scan through the menu and its categories, he found more files, disturbing files, files involving a kill switch and a magnetic field generator that could be used as a weapon against the suit.

Rodney stood quickly, but then nearly fell. It was only because Ronon was there and ready for him that he was able to help catch him before he went down. "Geez, Ronon," he said as Ronon let go of him. "I think this suit may have killed Damisk's assistant and probably Damisk himself."

Ronon ground his teeth together, glancing over at Sheppard and Teyla. Ronon gave Rodney his crutch. "Now, we tell them?"

Rodney nodded, dread causing his stomach to cramp. His hunger was now a distant memory. He turned in Sheppard's direction, knowing he probably looked wide-eyed and crazed, but he raised his voice anyway. "John, Teyla was right! You can't use the suit! Don't even think about using it for a single thing!"

He started hobbling toward Sheppard with Ronon beside him. John combed the fingers of one hand through his spiky hair as he waited for Rodney to approach him. "I don't get it," John said, his face scrunched up in confusion. "You were practically begging me to try it an hour ago."

Rodney nodded his head, wondering how he could have ever been so naive, so freaking naive and stupid, extraordinarily stupid. "Yeah, well, that was before I read that the suit uses the host as its power source and that's just to start off with."

John straightened. Apprehension echoed in his tone as he asked, "And when you say the host, you mean me?"

Nodding, Rodney said, "This suit is bad news, and I mean bad in the worst possible way. The only way the suit can survive is by tapping into the host's neural system and uses the host's body heat to add to its fuel batteries, but it's a huge drain on the host."

Rodney sighed. "By utilizing the host's body for power and integrating the AI into the host's neural pathways, the system was designed to give the host a direct interface to the use of the suit's different abilities, but as Damisk soon discovered, the reverse happened. The AI became far too dominant and it dictated what the host was allowed to do or not do – like I said, this is bad in the worst possible way."

"Crap," John muttered.

McKay nodded as he walked down the aisle with Ronon still tagging alongside of him. "That explains a lot about why the suit's power unit was so compact and why it was designed to be used only for an hour or two at a time."

Sheppard rubbed at an eyebrow with the back of one knuckle. Rodney came to a stop about four meters away from Sheppard, and even that felt too close. "You've been in that suit far longer than that. It's a wonder you're still able to breathe, let alone move."

"But the AI has been unresponsive for hours now. What changed for it not to be so dominant?" Teyla asked quietly.

Ronon pursed his lips together. "Maybe it wore Sheppard down to a point where it couldn't draw any more energy from him?"

Rodney nodded. "Maybe, but that's not the worst of it. Damisk had major problems with the AI and I think it may have led to his demise and that of his assistant."

Sheppard gestured to Ronon and Ronon gave him a hand up. He moved slowly as he digested Rodney's information. Teyla put down Ashina, who was still asleep, and got to her feet, too, with Ronon's assistance.

Before Rodney could say any more, Woolsey's voice came over the radio, surprising all of them. "Colonel Sheppard?"

John met Teyla's gaze with a raised eyebrow, then he looked at the others. "Yes, sir? I didn't realize you were coming to the planet."

"I just arrived, Colonel. I know things have been rough for you, so I wanted to offer my personal assurance that every possible resource is being utilized to reach you and the others in a timely fashion."

There was dread in John's expression as he said, "Thanks. It's nice of you to come and all, but unfortunately, we have a new wrinkle in our situation."

"Another one?" Woolsey asked cautiously.

"Hard to believe, sir, but yes. It appears this suit poises more of a threat than first thought."

Rodney spoke. "We cannot, under any terms, let Sheppard and that suit reach the surface until we can study it in greater detail and under more secure conditions. But I think I may have found a way to incapacitate the suit."

"Really? Now we're talking," Sheppard said, stepping closer. "That's the Rodney McKay I chose to be on my team."

"Yes, and once again I'm saving your sorry ass."

"Well, the Daedalus is still due to arrive in twelve hours and the teams with Major Lorne and Dr. Zelenka are making good headway, so you will have assistance sooner or later. At least, the rain has stopped and Dr. Zelenka estimates at least another four hours before they break through as long as things remain stable with the small explosive charges they've been successfully employing. The only thing slowing them down is ensuring the stability of the initial entryway in the ventilation system. It could prove troublesome."

Teyla spoke up. "Mr. Woolsey, Colonel Sheppard has injuries that must be dealt with, along with the rest of us. He requires medical attention. If he is not allowed to leave – "

"And we will provide it as soon as possible, Teyla, but I believe Dr. McKay is quite right to recommend extreme caution in this situation. Until we have a better understanding of the artificial intelligence behind this suit, we are going to have to quarantine it, especially from those with the ATA gene. We can have the medical staff come to where Colonel Sheppard is to treat his injuries for the time being."

Sheppard nodded in agreement as Woolsey continued, "We'll keep you up – "

A loud burst of static had all of them reaching to pull the radio headset from their ears.

When Rodney put the headset back to his ear, the radio was silent. Catching Rodney's troubled glance, Teyla tried her radio as she glanced toward the ceiling. "Mr. Woolsey?"

The silence continued. Rodney tapped the radio in his tac vest. "Woolsey, are you still transmitting?"

Teyla and Ronon looked toward Rodney for answers. Rodney knew he was frowning, even scowling. He had a sneaking suspicion he knew what was going on, but he prayed he was wrong.

Teyla said, "It appears we have lost radio contact with the surface."

Rodney pulled his scanner from a pocket and the readings confirmed his suspicions. "Crap!" Rodney said.

He rolled his eyes as he shoved the scanner back into his pocket and stomped his cane in frustration. "It's because that damn suit is jamming our radio signals!"

"The suit?" Teyla asked, turning toward Sheppard.

John glanced nervously at the others. Teyla started to step towards him, but John put up a hand to stop her. He blinked a few times, his gaze darting around. "There's... there's something going on with the suit, but it's not in control."

"Yet," McKay added with apprehension.

Ronon's voice was the calmest of the three when he asked, "McKay, can you override the jamming signal?"

Rodney nodded, but waved a hand in the air. "Of course, I can, but we have other more pressing concerns at the moment!"

Rodney paused as he heard a strangled noise coming from Sheppard's direction. When he looked over, he cursed under his breath. John was standing perfectly still, his arms at his sides, as if posing for a picture, except for the fact his expression was scrunched up and reddened from exertion.

Finally, John rasped, "Stun me!"

Deep down, Rodney knew exactly what John was thinking, especially when he heard the desperation in John's tone. Damn it, the suit was attempting to take control of him again. Oh, they were so truly screwed.

When Rodney glanced over at Ronon, he saw Ronon had come to the same conclusion because he had pulled his weapon. If John was unconscious, the suit couldn't attack them. The suit rippled and it covered Sheppard's mouth to keep him from shouting out orders again.

And John was obviously struggling to keep from raising a hand toward Rodney, but it was a losing battle. Rodney wondered what was going on, why Sheppard would fight so hard to prevent that from happening, then he gasped when he saw the configuration of a drilling laser appear on Sheppard's wrist.

Rodney was just starting to move to better cover when Ronon pushed him to the side behind some equipment, then flung himself in the opposite direction to land behind a portable generator.

A moment later, Ronon was up with his blaster, firing at Sheppard. He scored a direct hit against Sheppard, but all it did was make the force field around Sheppard glow brightly. Sheppard's reaction was immediate. He dropped to one knee, as if the shot and its corresponding force field drained him momentarily, though it wasn't enough to knock him out.

John stood and staggered forward a step, obviously fighting to keep himself from moving, then a laser beam cut into the shelving behind Rodney's head. _What was it about lasers and this damned facility?_

The shot had missed him by a wide margin, but it was enough to make Rodney duck down again and exclaim, "Ah, hell!"

Ronon shouted, "The suit must have been playing us all along."

Another laser beam hit the shelving behind Ronon, missing him by several feet, but that fact offered them little comfort. "Ya think?" Rodney exclaimed.

When Rodney peeked out again, he saw John fighting to turn away from them, but he was losing ground. "The suit wants him to take us out before we can do anything to stop it," Rodney replied in a poorly controlled panic, his overactive imagination playing out a deadly scenario in which the suit did all of them in.

Ronon nodded with a scowl, then he ducked down behind the counter he was using for cover. "Damn!" He hesitated for a moment, then switched the setting on his weapon.

Rodney put out a hand in Ronon's direction. "Ronon, be careful – all the suit's power comes from John."

Ronon cursed under his breath. "Right. I'll keep it on stun," he said grimly as he shifted the setting back to where it had been.

Rodney swallowed hard when he saw that Sheppard was moving toward them again. "Oh, God, he's coming," he hissed, curling himself behind his protective cover.

Ronon hesitated for a moment, but the laser shots were getting closer. "I'll push him back a little," he said softly and leaned out to fire again. The shot staggered Sheppard, driving him down to his knee again and caused the suit's force field to flash white so brightly, it nearly blinded Rodney.

When Rodney could see again, he yelped and shrank back against the wall, because Sheppard had turned back toward him. Somehow, the suit didn't seem to drain John of as much energy this time – not to say John wasn't having a hard time, because he was. He was gasping for air, as if the shot had expended all the oxygen around him – and he was losing control of his movements bit by bit, because the suit's shots were getting closer.

"This is so not good," Rodney whispered as he looked around him, trying to find better protection against an hostile alien artificial intelligence hot on the trail to kill him, but there was nothing much nearby.

"John?" Rodney heard Teyla call out from behind Sheppard.

Both Ronon and Rodney peeked out and saw Teyla as she knelt behind a large piece of machinery with Ashina in her arms. "John, fight this as you did earlier! Steel your resources and focus!"

Sheppard stood still for a long moment, and Rodney found himself holding his breath, then he couldn't breathe at all, because John ignored Teyla and took another step closer to them, the laser unit on his wrist glowing with a menacing red cast to it, as if preparing to take another shot in their direction.

Rodney scooted as far as he could behind his protective cover.

Ronon shifted his position and said, "It's coming after you, McKay. You said you knew of a way to shut it down. It's going to take out the threats in order of most importance. You, me, then Teyla and the girl."

"I said I knew of a _possible_ way to stop it."

"Whatever. You're a threat."

Rodney squeezed his eyes shut again to keep from being blinded again as Ronon fired his weapon again. With them still shut, he said, "If you tax the suit too much, Ronon, you might kill John, but – but we've got to do something."

"My shots don't seem to have the same effect on Sheppard as it did the first time," Ronon said, his gun went silent for a moment, then the laser began to hit around them again and again, getting alarmingly closer to their location each time.

Sheppard's face was deep red from exertion and his movements were sluggish as if he were about to collapse. The cover over his mouth retreated to give John better access to breathe and John used the opportunity the moment he had it. He shouted, "Head shot!"

Rodney's eyes flew open and he turned to gape at Ronon. Surely Ronon wouldn't do it – surely he wouldn't kill Sheppard just to stop the suit. Without looking in Rodney's direction, Ronon shifted the setting.

The lines in Ronon's troubled expression deepened as he held his weapon poised to shoot, but then he let it drop down and he shook his head. "Not yet," he whispered as he shifted the setting on his blaster back to stun and Rodney wasn't sure if he was talking to Rodney or himself.

Regardless, Rodney breathed a quick sigh of relief. He glanced down and found Damisk's recorder was still in his hand. Suddenly, Rodney's thoughts were filled with the data he'd rapidly skimmed over from the recorder. He remembered the devices he'd found in Damisk's pocket and pulled them out. Now, he had a better idea of how and what they would be used for.

Cursing under his breath, Rodney kept one device in his sweaty hand and put the other one safely away, then paused, his movements frozen in hesitation. His next look at Sheppard showed the suit had covered his mouth again.

Teyla called to Sheppard again. "John, fight this!"

Ronon raised his head a little and added, "You can beat it! You did it before and you can do it again!"

Rodney was surprised when John turned away from him and back in Teyla's direction, then his alarm grew when John took a step in Teyla's direction. The suit was apparently changing its tactics. "Wait, I thought I was the greatest threat... what's the suit doing now?"

Ronon shook his head and shouted, "Teyla, move it! He's coming after you!"

A piece of equipment behind Teyla's position shattered. Ronon began firing again, but his shots barely staggered Sheppard now. It seemed the suit was getting better at distributing energy to the force field. It was probably that damned adaptability module Damisk had lamented about in his notes.

Rodney poked his head out to see how Teyla and the girl were faring.

From the side, Rodney heard Ronon say, "Stay here, McKay."

Ronon turned and bolted down a different aisle of shelving. Rodney glanced at Sheppard and the suit, then back at Ronon. "Ronon!" he said in a loud whisper. "Hey, you big lug! The suit is just baiting you to draw you away from me," Rodney spat at Ronon's departing back. "Who's gonna protect me while you play Sir Galahad? I thought I was the biggest threat!"

Ronon made his way toward Teyla without glancing back at Rodney, dodging in and out behind equipment and shelving. "You'll be okay," Ronon shouted back. "I'll be back once they are situated."

Rodney looked up and cringed as a laser beam nearly caught Ronon, but at least Ronon had reached Teyla and Ashina. With his help, they moved to a better position.

The suit turned toward Rodney again and began firing. Now, the laser shots were only aimed at him. At least, there was some comfort in that. If he was to die, at least it would be saving Teyla and the child. He grunted, remembering when he'd told Carson and Ford to tell Jeannie he'd died saving children instead of succumbing to a nanite infection – now it might happen for real. Well, damn it, he wasn't ready to die yet, he thought indignantly.

"What should I do? Should I move?" Rodney shouted at Ronon.

"Yeah, to your left, down that center aisle," Ronon shouted back. "That should give you plenty of cover until the suit reaches you."

_The suit._ Ronon didn't mention Sheppard. Somewhere along the way, Sheppard's name stopped being used as the one attacking them. The danger was the suit. It was their one and only foe, and it would be the suit they'd have to incapacitate. It helped Rodney's conscience when he considered things in terms of attacking the suit and not John himself.

Ronon fired off a couple more shots, but they missed, no doubt that was Ronon's intent. Rodney was sure if Ronon had meant for them to connect, they would have. The bottom line was it was pointless for Ronon to hit John on the kill setting of his weapon, unless they really meant to kill him.

Rodney grabbed his crutch. He meant to move away as quickly as he could, but his gaze darted toward Sheppard. Rodney could see the extent of the tremendous strain on John. Even with John's herculean brand of determination and stamina, he couldn't keep fighting that damned suit much longer.

Rodney's eyes widened when the suit's laser was aimed directly at him. He'd taken too long to watch what was happening, instead of moving while he had the chance. He started limping to his left down the center aisle as Ronon had instructed, but Rodney knew he could never move fast enough to get out of the suit's range.

Then, out of nowhere, Ronon came running toward the suit and tackled it. He rolled with Sheppard until they hit a huge cooling system for the type of mechanisms that harnessed the incredible power of the Ancient's ZPM units.

Both Sheppard and Ronon grunted with the impact. They went limp for a moment, then Ronon popped up. He straddled Sheppard's chest and tried to strike John squarely on the jaw, but the suit's force field just flared with a very mild white flash. It didn't matter, Sheppard seemed to be unconscious, his head lolling to one side.

Teyla came out slowly, carrying Ashina, as did Rodney. Ronon wiped the back of his hand across his lower lip. It had been cut in the attack and was bleeding; the blood smeared a red path across his chin.

Ronon looked up at Rodney. "He's unconscious. Get me something to tie him up."

"Oh, thank God," Rodney said with relief, then he looked around. "Whatever we use, it's got to be strong enough to keep the suit restrained. There was some heavy grade cable I saw back this way that might work. I mean if it was meant to hoist some of the huge equipment around here without snapping, it should be able to restrain one little suit."

Ronon rocked back on his heels, then started to stand when John's eyes opened and he began a warning, "Ronon, get back – "

Ronon had no time to react. The suit's legs kicked upward and as an example of the suit's extra-enhanced strength, the movement flipped Ronon head over heels to strike the cooling system behind them, then the suit stood. Teyla gasped and backed away, as did Rodney.

The suit turned and raised its arm to take aim at Ronon, who was shaking off his collision with the equipment. When he opened his eyes, Ronon started to scramble away from under the suit's deadly aim, but there was nowhere for him to go. The suit was standing right over him. If it fired at that range, it would surely be a killing shot.

"Hey!" Rodney shouted with more courage than he felt. "Get away from him! I thought you were after me!"

When the suit turned toward Rodney, Rodney noticed how the rage radiating from Sheppard's gaze was a terribly frightening thing, but there was also fear in Sheppard's eyes – a terrible fear for the others. John looked like he was fighting the suit so hard, he was going to implode from the effort.

Rodney wanted to say something to comfort John, but nothing came to mind – nothing except the fact he now had the suit's attention and there was little he could do to protect himself.

Rodney was surprised when Ronon's leg swept out in a sudden surge of strength, catching the suit unprepared, and caused the suit to lose its balance. It crashed backward onto the floor. John groaned with the impact of hitting the floor.

By the time John was forced to stand again, Ronon had managed to put some distance between them, but it wasn't enough. Rodney cowered when he heard Teyla's nine-mil fire, but Teyla's bullet simply bounced off the suit in a bright flash of white.

John groaned in response to the shot and again went to his knees. He was on the edge of collapse, but it seemed to Rodney that John understood that Teyla was trying to give Ronon a distraction, so he could escape. Good plan, except it didn't provide enough time for anyone – anyone in their condition – to get away. Now, there was the distinct risk of the suit deciding to go after Teyla again.

Rodney shook his head, knowing they'd used up everything in their bag of tricks.

He ran a hand through his hair. He had to stop this madness. Nothing else was working. It was up to him. Damn it, it was up to him. Why was it always up to him anyway!

Rodney shook the device still in his hand, then held it up to his eyes, feeling sick at what he was about to do, but he had no other choice. It was either Teyla or Ronon, maybe even Rodney and Ashina, too, if he didn't act quickly.

"Forgive me," Rodney whispered as he activated the kill switch.

**oOoOoOoOo**

**Chapter 13**


	14. Chapter 14

**Sorry to have left y'all at such a bad place last time. Wish I could say it wouldn't happen again, but then I'd be lying! Hope you have fun with this chapter!**

**Chapter Fourteen**

After Teyla had set Ashina on the floor and pulled her handgun, she turned toward the suit, but she stopped short when she saw the suit was aiming its laser at Ronon's heart. At that range, there was no way Ronon could survive.

Without hesitation, she fired a round, only to see the bullet bounce away, because of the suit's force field. She had to close her eyes from the resulting brilliant white flash of light. If bullets and Ronon's blaster had no effect, what else could they do?

There was a strange guttural sound coming from John's direction. She glanced back in time to see John stiffen, then his body began to convulse as the suit morphed from diving equipment to heavy-duty fire fighter gear to something Teyla couldn't quite make out, one form going to another in rapid succession.

Teyla stepped out from her position as she watched in horror. Ronon scooted further away from the suit as it continued with several more transformations. The morphing seemed to come faster and faster, and all John could do was ride out the transformations that made him bend and contort with each change.

Ronon got to his feet, pulling his blaster again. He aimed the weapon, but held his fire as he squinted at the bizarre happening. Rodney stepped out from behind the machine he had taken refuge behind, horror etched upon his pale features. The suit seemed to be exacting its toll on John as it shifted from one form to the next, causing him to scream hoarsely in pain.

Teyla turned in Rodney's direction, her eyes wide in confusion. Rodney opened and closed his mouth a few times, then let it gape slack-jawed until a stream of words began spewing from his lips. "Oh, geez, Teyla, I had no idea – I swear, no idea at all that the kill switch would cause... _this_."

Teyla limped toward Rodney. "Kill switch? Rodney, what do you mean by kill switch?" she asked with barely contained emotion as she closed the distance between them.

Rodney's breath caught as he pointed at John, who was still in the throes of nonstop transformations. "And – and I certainly wouldn't have done it if I'd known... I mean, damn, I was just – I was just trying to stop the suit before it killed Ronon. Damisk's notes said the kill switch could work... but this – this... "

Rodney froze in place, his movements mired by what he was seeing.

"Rodney, what is going on here?" she asked in a rush, her words harsher than she meant for them to be, but she didn't have time to be gentle.

She stopped in front of him. Ronon came up behind her before Rodney could reply. "Whatever it is, it looks like it's killing him," Ronon said breathlessly as he held his left arm close to his chest.

Teyla put a hand in Rodney's direction and Rodney squeezed his eyes closed. "Rodney, can you stop this?"

He turned toward her, shaking his head, and said, "Honest to God, I just thought it would just stop the suit – not do... _this_!"

Rodney's gaze returned to John again. He looked so lost with guilt that Teyla put her hand on his arm and squeezed gently to get his attention. "Rodney, what can we do next? Is there some mechanism to stop this – this kill switch's actions?"

Rodney shook his head, looking more desperate now. "No, no, not once it's started. Once activated, there's no turning it off. It has to work through on its own."

Teyla took a step in John's direction, intending to see if she could help him in some way, but Rodney put out a hand to stop her. "Teyla, you and Ronon keep your distance."

Teyla turned, bewildered. "Why?"

Rodney swallowed and shook his head. "We don't know for sure if this kill switch will incapacitate the artificial intelligence or not – the suit might make John attack us when we least expect it. I mean, it's already tricked us into a false sense of security once today."

Teyla looked at Rodney, knowing her frustration was evident in her tone and stance. "There must be something that can be done!"

Rodney's words were slow in coming, then he said, "I – I think it's causing the suit lose its cohesion, hopefully for good, but we won't know that for sure until it stops."

Teyla tried to force away her emotions in an attempt to regain her composure, but one look at John and her anxiety mushroomed. "Rodney, we cannot just stand by when John is in such obvious distress!"

"I know – I know, but there's nothing more we can do. Damn it, what the hell was I thinking!" Rodney admonished himself.

Ronon looked at Teyla, then back at John as he shook his head. "McKay, you were right to use it. I don't think Sheppard would have been able to stop it on his own and sooner or later, all of us would have been dead."

Rodney glanced over at Ronon, obviously shocked enough to pull out of his fugue for a moment. "Seriously?"

Ronon nodded as he wiped at the blood dripping down his chin from the cut on his lip. The lip was already swelling, but it looked like nothing compared to the swelling that was happening with his left elbow – though Ronon seemed oblivious to his injuries, more concerned with Sheppard than himself. "Sheppard was losing his fight against the suit. The shots were getting closer and closer. If you hadn't taken him out with this, I wouldn't be alive right now. You looked into his eyes. You saw how putting us in danger was killing him."

He paused, then looked over at Rodney and said, "Don't beat yourself up over this. Just figure out what we have to do to help save him."

Rodney shook his head. "We are still several hours out from being rescued. If this doesn't subdue the suit, we're as good as dead."

Teyla took in Rodney's pronouncement, then turned back to Rodney again. The desperation in Rodney's eyes was so strong it was almost too painful to see.

"Think, Rodney, is there something else we can do to help John?"

Rodney's gaze darted around the area as he shook his head, then he took Damisk's recorder from his tac vest. "I – I don't know, let me look at Damisk's notes again. Maybe there was something I missed the first – "

Rodney stopped when a seizure overtook John. John's eyes rolled up into his head and he collapsed to the floor, his arms and legs jerking. Ronon took off running toward John before Rodney could to stop him. Teyla reached out with one hand and called, "Ronon, wait!"

Ronon paused, looking down at John, who had gone limp and unmoving, then glanced back at her and Rodney. "He's not moving. I need to make sure he's still alive."

Rodney looked at him warily. "Remember what happened the last time you touched him without advance warning!"

Ronon shook his head. "I don't think we need to worry about Sheppard or the suit right now."

Teyla held her breath as Ronon bent down and put a hand to John's chest, then a finger to his carotid artery, checking for a pulse. He sighed and nodded, glancing back up at them.

Teyla left Rodney to approach Ronon and John. John looked awful as he lay unconscious. The suit was still without its regular cohesion. It was almost dripping to the floor in places. Most of it still covered John, but its luster was gone and it just looked like old melting rubber.

As she neared him, Teyla could see where there were holes in the suit's black material. John's uniform could be seen underneath. With horror, she saw the clothes had also been torn in places by the terrible strain of multiple transformations... and in those places, the skin underneath was raw and bleeding, as if its top layer had been torn away with the uniform's fabric.

Teyla bent down beside Ronon, momentarily more worried about the suit than the injuries. "The suit – while it is not in control –should we not use this chance of opportunity to remove it?"

Ronon took hold of some of the more ragged areas of the suit's material covering John's right arm and pulled at it, but despite its limp appearance, the material was still amazingly strong and refused to yield.

Rodney shook his head as he came up behind them. "Don't waste your time with that. I don't think it would work anyway. The suit might have lost some of its cohesion, but I think the situation is temporary at best. It's still chillingly resistant. I think it's beyond our physical strength to remove – "

Ronon pulled a knife and held it to one of the holes in the suit. Rodney grunted. "That's an exercise in futility, but feel free to ignore my advice and go right on ahead."

Ronon slipped it inside easily enough before turning the sharp edge to cut the material. There was no shimmering effect this time, but the knife failed to slice through the material no matter how much force Ronon used.

Ronon put away his knife and Rodney gestured quickly with one hand. "Roll him over and see if the suit's connections are still imbedded in John's neck."

Ronon gently took hold of one of John's shoulders and, with Teyla's help, turned him onto his side so that John's head was resting against Ronon's thigh. Teyla leaned closer and saw the filaments from the suit were still firmly entrenched in John's neck.

Rodney cursed under his breath as Ronon rolled John back to the floor. Ronon kept his hand on John's shoulder for a moment, then he glanced up at Teyla. "McKay, you've gotta find a way to fix this."

Rodney scowled. "Yeah, yeah, I know and I will. The main question is can I do it in time to save John and the rest of us."

Teyla didn't miss a beat. "Yes, you can, Rodney. In the meanwhile, let us see what we can do to make John more comfortable."

Ronon didn't move for a moment, then he shook his head. "No, we need to restrain him."

Teyla's eyes widened before she nodded in reluctant understanding. Ronon turned to Rodney. "McKay, where's that cable you were talking about?"

Rodney pointed and began to give directions. Ronon went to get it with Rodney limping off behind him while Teyla waited. Teyla almost pulled her handgun to have it out and ready to train on John if the suit started moving again. Even thought she knew the bullets would be automatically deflected by the force field, it was the only weapon she had to use against the suit. The reality of their situation was if they didn't find a solution soon, someone was bound to die.

**oOoOoOoOo**

The first thing John heard as he awakened was McKay talking to Teyla and Ronon. "You see, the host doesn't have to be a willing subject. They become a slave once the AI connects to them. The suit needs a body for support and as a power source, but they don't have be a willing participant. That was the malfunction Damisk discovered after his last upgrade enabled the AI to have a broader range of control. Once the assistant put it on, he couldn't control the suit at all."

John shook his head and moaned softly. Everything hurt – so much that the overwhelming stream of pain impulses made it impossible to determine what hurt the most. He tried to roll over to get up, but nothing happened. His body simply ignored his orders to move. This time, it wasn't a problem with the AI, but only his own exhaustion that hampered his movements.

Then he saw his hands and feet were bound with heavy cable wrapped several times around them, and he smiled. _Good_, he thought,_ it's about time something held this suit back besides me._

He did manage to raise his head to look at the others. They were huddled around Ronon as Teyla bandaged Ronon's left elbow, then she helped him into his arm sling again. The big guy usually dealt pretty well with pain, but he was in a tight grimace by the time she was finished. A sprained elbow added to the shoulder injury and a fireworks of bruises lining his left side from his ribs to his head didn't look to be any fun at all.

John let his head drop back to the floor. He paused for a moment as he realized he couldn't hear the mechanical monotone of the artificial intelligence droning inside his thoughts. His heart leapt at the thought the AI might have gotten fried in the horrific experience that happened before he passed out.

He could still feel the rapid-paced morphing of the suit as it shifted from one configuration to the next – everything had became a blur of nonstop agony. It felt like his body was being torn apart. Even now, the pain throbbed across his limbs and torso, though not as overwhelming as it had been during the transformations. He glanced down at his hands which were trembling, then realized there were other muscle groups also quivering with pain and exhaustion.

"Geez," he whispered when he looked at the bloody patches covering his body.

What a fool he'd been to actually believe he'd suppressed or subdued the AI earlier. The AI was only bidding its time in order to find a way out of the facility, and they'd given it the route by announcing the escape exit via the ventilation system. How monumentally naive they'd all been!

Then everything had come to a screeching halt when Woolsey announced they were going to quarantine Sheppard and the suit – and it was at that moment the suit chose the attack. After all, there was no point in continuing the charade any longer.

John swallowed hard as he recalled how the suit had come so close to firing on Ronon. It was worse knowing the killing wouldn't have stopped with Ronon – Teyla, Ashina, and McKay would have also been in line for elimination, all because of John's inability to control the suit.

John chewed on his lower lip as he searched his thoughts for ways to get the upper hand with the suit – some plan that had a viable chance of success. There had to be some angle they could use, some weakness the suit had, if only he could find it.

Maybe McKay had some ideas that would help. John decided it was time to test the waters. He raised his head again and called, "McKay."

His voice was weak and hoarse, probably from the suit's earlier strangling attempts and his screams during the transformations. It hurt to talk, but he had to get McKay's attention.

He hadn't spoken loud enough apparently, because Rodney continued with his explanation to Ronon and Teyla, "The kill switch affected the suit's cohesion. Its ability to morph into other configurations worked against it this time, as the kill switch used the suit's capabilities as a weapon against itself."

There, that was a weakness. That was exactly the kind of thing they needed to use against the suit. John took in a long breath to gather his strength. If there was one weakness, there might be more.

John stopped, remembering a flash of insight he got from the suit right after the kill switch had been activated. Somehow, he knew the sensations involved with the kill switch had been a familiar memory for the suit. Damisk must have used it at least once before he was killed, because the suit had experienced it before.

"So the suit is neutralized?" Teyla asked as she finished with Ronon.

Rodney shook his head. "I don't know that is a fact yet or not. My scans indicate the suit's still operational, but the kill switch took it offline."

Ronon gingerly tested his range of motion with the bandage and sling. It wasn't much. "Can we use that kill switch again if we have to?" he asked.

Teyla looked horrified at the thought. "Ronon, you can honestly ask that question after seeing what the suit did to John? Ignoring the physical strain of withstanding so many transformations, there are his other injuries to consider, and the fact that it triggered a seizure. We cannot put him through that again."

John closed his eyes. His friends were trying to look out for him when they should have been watching out for themselves. He had to make them understand. Taking a deep breath, he called out again, louder this time. "McKay!"

Rodney still didn't hear him, but Ronon did. He turned to look at John, a big smile breaking out on his face. Teyla and Rodney followed his gaze and sighed in relief.

"It's about time you came around," Ronon said as he reached John first. Teyla and McKay limped their way over behind him.

When Teyla arrived, she sat down with Ronon's help beside John and put a hand on his forearm. "John, it is good to hear your voice again. How are you feeling?"

John decided the best response would be to ignore her question. He didn't want to lie and if he actually told them the truth, they wouldn't want to listen to what he had to say.

Rodney came to a stop a few feet away, obviously hesitant to get any closer to John and his ATA gene body-jacking suit. Smart guy. They didn't call him a genius for nothing. John noticed how Rodney's gaze darted all around him, but wouldn't quite meet John's eyes. Guilt. It was radiating from Rodney's expression in huge painful waves.

Normally, John would have worked to help alleviate Rodney's misplaced emotions, but he had other things on his mind. He didn't know how long he had before the suit would take over again, but he had to make sure the others understood his orders first.

"McKay," he started, but his voice was too raspy. He cleared his throat, then said, "If it even looks like the suit is back in control, swear to me that you will use that kill switch again. No matter how many times it takes. You have to ensure the safety of the others by keeping me from hurting them."

Rodney's eyes bulged and he shook his head. "What? Do you have some sado-masochistic tendencies that I don't know about? Damn it, that last stunt nearly killed you!"

John shook his head. "I'm still alive."

Rodney threw a hand into the air in exasperation. "I wouldn't call what you are right now still alive. You're in a whole world of hurt."

John shook his head, his voice becoming more hoarse every time he spoke. "Yeah, but I can handle it, especially if it means this suit won't come after you guys again."

Teyla squeezed his hand. "It will not do us much good if what you ask us to do kills you."

John closed his eyes. They didn't get it. Damn it, they just didn't get it. They didn't understand the degree of danger they still were in. "That's fine if it keeps you guys alive. I mean it, you have to keep yourselves safe at all costs. That's your top priority. Consider it an order."

McKay leapt into rant mode. "Get this straight, Colonel Sheppard, I will not willingly participate in your murder! Neither will Teyla or Ronon!"

When John opened his mouth to speak, Rodney shook his head and pointed a finger at him. "Don't! Don't even say it! We are _not_ going to kill you!"

John sighed. "Rodney, this artificial intelligence wants to kill you. It took everything I had to keep it from doing that, and even then I was fighting a losing battle. I can only imagine what would happen if the suit got hold of someone less stubborn than me. There would be no stopping it."

He swallowed, then continued, "That kill switch only scrambled the AI's systems. It will come back online soon and when it does, it will continue its earlier mission to kill all of you."

John licked his chapped lips. "It can't kill me, Rodney. I'm its meal ticket and its only way out of here, so it will keep me alive at all costs."

Rodney looked a little sick as realization sunk in. He muttered, "Unless it jumps ship and latches onto me."

John nodded. "Exactly. That is why you need to contain the situation while you still can. Just keep hitting that kill switch as long as you have to, even until the suit's power source is used up, if that's what it takes."

Teyla stiffened. "But you are the power source."

John met her gaze and nodded. "Whatever it takes to get the job done."

Ronon looked at McKay after remaining silent the entire conversation. He put out his hand. "Give me the kill switch, McKay. I'll do it, if it comes to that," he said quietly.

Rodney shook his head dismally. "It's ATA-gene specific. It won't work for you."

John looked at Rodney. "Then, it's up to you. Rodney, you have to do this. Nobody else here can."

In the silence that followed, Rodney's shoulders sagged a little, Ronon exhaled sharply and Teyla's hand squeezed John's more tightly. John was about to speak again, but gasped instead. "Rodney, the suit – it's starting its reboot sequence. Hit the kill switch again!"

Rodney hesitated, torn between duty and friendship. "I – I can't!"

"Do it – " Sheppard ordered, only to stop in mid-sentence as the suit constricted around him with agonizing tightness.

John couldn't help the low moan that followed as the holes in the suit's makeup filled in and the suit reconstituted itself. It began to ripple across John's body. Rodney backed away automatically. Ronon took Teyla by the arm and helped her up, then they all retreated several feet.

Ronon glanced at Teyla and said, "Get Ashina and move as far away from here as you can."

John bit his lip as he tried to prevent the suit from moving, but it was like trying to stop a tsunami. There was some resistance as the suit moved his bound hands and feet in an attempt to get free.

Ronon gently pushed Teyla in McKay's direction. "Go now! I'll cover you."

Teyla frowned. She glanced at John, then at Ronon and Rodney before she left, hobbling away as quickly as she could, which wasn't very fast.

John's breath caught as he waited to see if the cables would hold the suit back or not, but then the suit created a laser that appeared higher up on John's arm to get a better angle and used its fine beam to slice through the cables, first on his wrists, then on his legs.

"Damn it, no," John whispered to himself, fighting every move as he was made to get to his knees.

The others were still far too exposed, even with Ronon herding them along. There wasn't enough time for them to get away before the suit would start shooting at them. They'd foolishly wasted their escape time hovering over him.

Ronon backed away, still facing John with his weapon drawn. He caught John's gaze as John struggled not to stand and said, "We can beat this thing, Sheppard. Just stay strong."

Ronon turned and moved toward Ashina, probably to pick her up. John felt his hand moving up against his will in preparation of firing at his friends and he railed against it with everything he had. It didn't help. Nothing helped. The suit was now targeting McKay and there didn't seem to be any way he could stop it.

John started to call out to warn him, but the suit muzzled him again. Teyla and Rodney were almost to Ronon and Ashina, and a little more protective cover, but Rodney was still pretty exposed. Teyla glanced back and must have caught a glimpse of John's face as he got to his feet, because she shoved Rodney in Ronon's direction just as the laser fired.

The shot missed both Teyla and Rodney, but her leg injury threw off her inherent sense of balance and her momentum caused her to crash into some shelving. Miscellaneous parts, some of them heavy, fell on her and the force of the falling objects knocked her out.

_Damn it, _John thought at the same time as Rodney said the words aloud. Ronon righted Rodney to keep him from falling. The moment Rodney was steadied, Ronon bent down and picked up Ashina.

He immediately handed the sleeping child to Rodney and said, "Here, take the girl. I'll get Teyla. Get as far away as you can as fast as you can."

The suit started firing again. It was all John could do to throw off the targeting system just enough to cause the shots to miss Rodney and Ronon. The suit forced him to move forward, step by step. Worse, he was moving faster instead of slowing down the suit. His teammates were about to become laser fodder and there seemed to be nothing he could do to stop it from happening.

"Crap," John whispered as the suit's targeting systems locked on Ronon as he bent down to grab Teyla.

John felt sick – physically and emotionally sick. He couldn't allow the suit to cause them any more harm than they'd already experienced. Summoning up strength he thought was expended long ago, he fought against the suit and surprised himself when he made a little headway – at least enough to delay firing. Needless to say, the suit wasn't happy about his success.

John groaned with the suit's response as it applied pressure to his hip and ribs.

In the meantime, Ronon took hold of Teyla's tac vest, ignoring the danger he was in, and began pulling her to safety, but he struggled to move her at a brisk pace.

John rallied himself against the suit one last time. He had to give them another moment to get out of harm's way. Because of his increased resistance, the suit tightened around his injuries in agonizing punishment. It didn't matter, they needed more time and he was going to give it to them.

The suit continued to retaliate for John's impudence. John cried out when he felt one of his cracked ribs snap and he was sure he was going to pass out from the pain. His hold on consciousness was tenuous at best, but when he glanced up, he saw Rodney's head duck out from behind some protective cover, probably because he'd heard John's cry.

Rodney stared at John with a blend of horror, apprehension, and guilt as Ronon continued to pull Teyla along, but Ronon was still out in the open. The sight of Rodney holding the sleeping Ashina up to one shoulder was odd, as if out of place, but the frustration on Rodney's face was classic McKay.

Glancing away from John, Rodney bit his lip and waved to Ronon, then shouted, "Move your ass, Ronon! Sheppard can't hold on forever, you know!"

When Rodney glanced back, there was something in Rodney's expression that spoke to John – and he knew there wasn't any more time left for words, only action. With his mouth muzzled, John couldn't have said anything aloud anyway, but then he didn't have to.

John knew Rodney was aware what had to be done, he just wasn't prepared to actually do it. Rodney's eyes begged for a reprieve. _No, don't make me do this_, they seemed to say_._

_Just do it, Rodney,_ he replied through their visual exchange.

Rodney hesitated, then John's right arm raised upward and the targeting system on the laser began to activate. There wasn't any time left. The next shot was perilously close to Ronon.

Rodney's shoulders slumped, then his reluctant acceptance radiated in his tired body language. Rodney closed his eyes. He must have pressed the button on the kill switch again, because fire erupted in John's mind and body as the suit began to morph in rapid sequence again.

John was able to see the others duck into an adjoining aisle, disappearing into the maze of aisles, machinery and shelving of the facility, leaving him alone and he felt a flash of relief that they were getting away right before fire bombs exploded inside his head and his body began to spasm. He passed out a moment later.

**oOoOoOoOo**

**Chapter 14**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hi, guys! Sorry about going AWOL in the middle of the story. The truth of the matter is that RL has been keeping me busy – way, way, way too busy! I want to get back into a regular posting schedule, but things are still kind of up in the air, at least for the short term. **

**Rest assured, the story will be completed. I'm working on the last chapter now (that's Chapter 19) I really can't see it going longer than that unless the muse gets carried away in this last section. And then it's got to be beta'd. So maybe once a week for a week or two until I have everything ready to go. Thanks so much for all of your kind words and support!**

**Now, back to the story!**

**Chapter Fifteen**

There was no denying the fact Rodney deserved to burn in hell for what he'd just done.

Rodney held a hand to his head in horror and disbelief. He couldn't believe he'd done it, that he'd actually had the gumption to press the button and put Sheppard through that nightmare a second time. It was the classic military _'us or them' _mentality and Rodney hated it. He hated it because it meant the cowardly part of him was relieved they were safe again from the suit – at least for a little while.

_Oh, God, what have I done? _

The knot on his forehead was pounding to the racing thump of his heart. He couldn't stop his rapid breathing and knew he was in danger of hyper-ventilating, but none of that mattered. He kept blinking in disbelief and revulsion, and was barely aware that Ronon had taken Ashina's still form from his arms.

The ensuing silence was overwhelming, though piercing through the quiet were the distant echoes of Sheppard's screams still ringing inside Rodney's head. And every time he closed his eyes, he saw Sheppard's body contorting in painful spasms. Damn, what had he done? What the hell had he done?

Ronon set Ashina on the floor beside Teyla, and then patted Teyla's cheek with his hand. "Teyla? Can you hear me?"

"Is – is she okay?" Rodney asked, finally recovered enough to speak.

Ronon frowned and Rodney read a lot in what Ronon didn't say. Who knew what kind of new injuries she sustained in the last salvo?

Ronon shook his head. "Don't know yet."

He bent forward, checking Teyla's pulse and respiration, then ran a quick hand around Teyla's neck and limbs. Shaking his head, then he said, "I can't find anything broken, but... "

_Yeah, but..._ Rodney's imagination filled in all kinds of terrible buts that might be going on for her but he stopped himself before he got too far.

He tapped his crutch nervously on the floor. Damn it, it was time for him to man up.

Focus. He had to focus. Prioritize. Save everyone's lives. Right. As if it were as easy as checking things off a to-do list. The suit was probably rebooting that very minute. They were all so very screwed.

Then he looked down at Teyla, bruised and bleeding, and then at little Ashina's still form, and the thought of what would Sheppard do right now passed through his mind. He'd figure out a plan of action. Sheppard always came up with a plan. Okay, they weren't always good plans, but they were plans.

Rodney sighed. He had no flashes of insight, no miracles to pull out of the air, but damn it, John was out of commission and so was Teyla, so it was up to him and Ronon to get them all out of trouble.

"We don't have much time," he said finally. "How can I help?"

Ronon sighed. "Find a way to put that damned suit out of action."

Rodney put a hand to his throbbing forehead. "Oh, yeah, that's a novel thought. I'll get right on it."

Knowing he should look to see if Sheppard was still caught in a seizure, he found himself unable to even look in Sheppard's direction. Ronon leaned back on his heels, pausing to rub the back of his neck before he glanced up at him. "You okay?"

Rodney shook his head, but didn't say anything. Ronon didn't pursue it. He was busy checking Teyla over and he already knew how Rodney felt about the kill switch and Sheppard.

Chewing on his lip, Rodney stared at Teyla's unconscious form, worrying about her and then the girl, but when he closed his eyes, images of the suit's rapid morphing flashed through his head. He put the palms of both hands to his forehead. God, what had he done?

He was still too afraid to look at Sheppard. Shaking his head, he straightened his shoulders. He couldn't think about Sheppard right now. They needed a plan – a real plan with at least an inkling of success. Sheppard would kick Rodney's ass if John survived and one of the others didn't.

If Rodney could only get a few minutes' time with Damisk's files on the personal recorder, he might figure out what the other device in his pocket was used for. He was pretty sure the key involved Damisk's notes that spoke of using magnetic fields against the suit. Now, he just needed the time to figure out how it was all related.

Ronon rocked back on his heels and sighed. He rubbed his injured arm, then caught Rodney staring at the recorder. "You think that's going to save us?"

Rodney shrugged a little, then toyed with the recorder again. He gestured with the device toward Ronon. "The answer is there, Ronon, I just need to find it."

Ronon nodded. He brushed an errant lock of hair from Teyla's face. "Sheppard wouldn't let the suit kill any of us," Ronon said with sad pride.

"Just barely," Rodney said as he rubbed his forehead. "We can't expect Sheppard to keep doing all the work. Short term, short term, that's all this kill switch is good for. Damisk designed it as a quick fix. We need to think bigger, broader... "

Rodney sighed. So much was riding on him. He glanced back in John's direction, finally able to overcome his fears of what he would find. John was lying on his stomach, his arms and legs splayed in different directions.

Rodney swallowed hard. "Damn – maybe I should go back and check on him," he said quietly.

Ronon shook his head. "Too dangerous. We don't know when that suit will come back online. That was our mistake last time – staying too close to Sheppard. After I get Teyla situated, I'll come back to keep an eye on him. We need to know when we are in danger of being attacked again."

"But what if he's dead – "

Ronon shook his head. "Then a little more time won't make any difference."

"But what if he's alive, but near death – "

"No buts. Sheppard told us to do whatever it takes to keep us alive. We aren't going to let him down."

"Yeah," Rodney said nervously. "I guess we need to get moving... but where do we go that's safe?"

Ronon's gaze darted around. "There's no _safe_ place here, not as long as the suit can keep Sheppard mobile. Do you have a place in mind where you can work from?"

Rodney stopped to think for a moment. "Yeah, actually, I think I do."

He looked at Ronon. "Maybe I'll go ahead and get started?"

Ronon nodded. "Good idea. Where do we meet you?"

"Below the area that has all the netting, equipment, and cables."

Ronon nodded again. Rodney started to turn away, then glanced back at him. "We won't have a lot of time. We had an hour before the AI rebooted last time, but we can't depend on having the same time interval again. There's definitely a learning curve involved for the suit and the AI has an extensive module on adapting to situations. I will need every minute I can get before we take the suit on again."

Ronon nodded and Rodney took off.

**oOoOoOoOo**

The lesser of two evils. It was a saying from Earth. And if Ronon was honest with himself, he'd admit that staying with Sheppard and offering some morale support was much preferred to staying with McKay as his captive computer assistant. McKay seemed to think that he could train Ronon to play with his computers and master them.

The thing was, McKay was really, really off target. The fact of the matter was Ronon had no desire to work with computers. Ever. He'd never fully understand them if he had a million years to learn and he didn't really want to learn.

If Teyla had remained unconscious, Ronon might have stayed with McKay to help him, but Teyla had come around in time to save him from that torture. She had a knot on her head that dwarfed McKay's and Ronon was worried about her, yet she insisted she was able to assist McKay.

Ashina was still out, even after Ronon had tried several times to rouse her. Ronon had no idea of that was a good thing or not. Keller had told Teyla that Ashina might have episodes like that, but, even so, her lack of consciousness unnerved all of them.

And McKay had been so deeply involved in what he was doing, he barely noticed when Ronon left them to go check on Sheppard. Teyla waved him on as he turned to leave, saying, "Call if you require assistance, Ronon. And watch yourself with John. Do not let your guard down."

Ronon nodded and left without looking back. He was definitely more in his element in dealing with an alien artificial intelligence controlling Sheppard than he was with sick little girls or scrambled Ancient databases, but not by much.

McKay had been right earlier when he'd pointed out if the problem was something Ronon couldn't shoot, fight or kill, he was lost. The thing was Ronon's whole life had been about dealing with tangibles – an enemy to battle, a danger to defeat, an evil to stop, but this time the enemy was an artificial intelligence – and one that had control of his best friend.

All Ronon could really do was ensure the safety of the others and offer Sheppard some moral support. In this case, the lesser of two evils still meant Sheppard was screwed.

Ronon watched Sheppard warily for a long while, even after he'd regained consciousness, but all Sheppard did was pant for air and groan in pain. Thinking of the advice he'd given McKay to stay away from Sheppard, Ronon ignored it completely and approached Sheppard's side, but he did make sure to keep some cover between him and Sheppard as he moved.

"Hey," Ronon said as he looked over at him when he was about six feet away. "How are you doing?"

It was a stupid question. All he had to do was take one glance at Sheppard to see he was hurting. The suit hadn't recovered yet. Its appearance was again lackluster. The dripping effect had increased. Now, it was hanging in long strands along Sheppard's arms and legs. Not only that, but it was riddled with holes – big choppy holes that revealed several more bloody patches on Sheppard's body.

The first thing Ronon noticed about Sheppard was that his breathing was way off. It was raspy and shallow and no matter how hard he tried to slow it down, it remained a battle. Ronon worried about Sheppard's cracked ribs and the sort of pressure the suit could exert on them.

Sheppard had screamed right before McKay activated the kill switch the second time. It wouldn't take much to turn a cracked rib into a broken one, and there could be all kinds of problems involved with a broken rib, foremost being a punctured lung.

Sheppard didn't open his eyes, he just grunted in reply. After a long moment, he rasped, "How's Teyla?"

"She's doing okay. I told her I'd check on you and if the AI was still offline, I'd see if you needed anything... so do you need anything?"

Sheppard gave him a limp, crooked grin. "A way out of this damned suit?"

"McKay's working on it," Ronon said as he opened a bottle of water and came closer. "Think you can drink some water?"

"Stay back. You don't know when the AI could come back online."

"A quick drink won't take long."

Sheppard licked his chapped lips. "Okay, a quick drink," he said gratefully.

As Sheppard drank, Ronon eyed him closely. Sheppard's face was red and sweaty, even that long after all the excitement had ended. Ronon reached up with the back of his hand and put it against Sheppard's forehead. Sheppard's skin was warm... maybe a fever?

"Don't worry about that now, " Sheppard said, as if reading Ronon's thoughts. "We've got more important things to do. I just had an idea."

Sheppard held a hand to his ribs and tried to raise up. "We've got to disconnect that neural interface from my neck."

Ronon frowned. Of all the things he expected to come out of Sheppard's mouth, that was one of the least likely. He put a hand on Sheppard's arm to keep him down.

"How? McKay said it might kill you if it wasn't removed the right way."

Sheppard shook his head and made more motions to sit up. "It's got to come out while the AI is still out. I don't know how much time we have, but we need to move more quickly."

Ronon scowled as arguments for and against the idea came to mind. He shook his head and started to stand. "Wait, I'll get McKay. He knows more about – "

Sheppard put a hand on Ronon's arm to stop him before he stood. "No, there's no time to waste. It's going to be you and me doing this. Help me up," he said with determination.

Ronon didn't move. He took a deep breath and met Sheppard's gaze. "The med kit doesn't have any surgical equipment in it."

When he saw Sheppard was going to argue with him, Ronon shook his head firmly. "We need Jennifer to talk us through – "

"Radio's out," Sheppard said. "Ronon, face the facts – the radio's out, McKay's busy, Teyla's hurt, and it's just you and me. That interface has to come out."

Ronon swallowed hard, then frowned. "Let me get another look at it," he said finally.

Ronon knew to even consider this was wrong – way, way wrong. Sheppard could die if they screwed with the interface – no, check that, Sheppard could die if Ronon screwed with it.

Sheppard rolled onto his side away from Ronon and Ronon leaned down closer. There was a network of tiny filaments over a one-inch patch that were embedded into Sheppard's neck just below his hairline with the larger ones looking like they went in the deepest. He had no idea what would happen if even one of them were disconnected, let alone all of them.

"Damn," Ronon muttered as he wiped a hand over his tired face. "It's suicide to fool with this, Sheppard."

Sheppard shook his head. "No, it's suicide for all of you if we don't try it. This interface has to come out or else you guys are all dead. Take it out."

"With what?"

"Any one of the dozens of knives you carry around on a regular basis."

Ronon shook his head as he rocked back on his heels. "No, Sheppard, I don't think the setup works that way. It isn't something I can just hack away at – this goes into your nervous system."

A determined gleam came into Sheppard's eyes as he rolled onto his back again. "Then give me your knife and I'll cut the damned thing out myself. I lost mine in the fall. One way or another, this thing is coming out."

Ronon swallowed and paused in thought. Finally, he shook his head. "McKay could activate the kill switch again, that would keep the AI from doing anything."

Sheppard grunted, then he sighed. Shaking his head, Sheppard swallowed, and then looked up at Ronon, his right hand starting to move, as if to support his ribs. "Sorry," he said softly.

"About what?"

"This," Sheppard said, then he struck Ronon squarely on the jaw with a wicked right hook that took Ronon out before he even hit the floor. Lesser of two evils – yeah, right.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	16. Chapter 16

**As promised – a weekly installment of the activities of our favorite SGA team!**

**Chapter Sixteen**

After getting to his knees, John carefully turned Ronon onto his back, so that he would at least be more comfortable when he came to. He saw the dark red spot on Ronon's jaw and he let his fingers slide over the area to make sure he hadn't broken it by accident when he'd struck him so hard. It was difficult for John to gauge how much force he was actually using when he was in the suit.

Luckily, Ronon's jaw bone was smooth. Ronon would have another bruise to add to his growing collection, but no broken bones. That fact didn't help the guilt that still hung over John heavy and roiling like a brewing hurricane. Damn Ronon's stubbornness anyway. John chewed on the inside of his cheek. He'd been left with little choice. The bottom line was he had to make sure his connection to this damned suit was severed once and for all.

John's fingers brushed over the interface at the back of his neck and the sensation was distinctly odd. He could feel the skin around the insertion point, but not the filaments going into his neck. They were alien, as alien as the artificial intelligence trying to control his body.

John thought for a moment, then opted for one of Ronon's sharper knives for the task ahead. After he had Ronon's knife in his hand, he brought it up to the back of his neck, but let it hover there without proceeding.

John swallowed, trying to brace himself for the pain he was sure would follow. Then, he shook off his apprehension. After all he'd been through, a little more pain wouldn't make much difference, especially when he thought of Teyla, Ronon, Rodney and little Ashina. He knew what he had to do.

He brought the knife to the filaments, but stopped when he heard the sound of distant rumbling. It was strong enough to rattle items on nearby shelving. He lowered his hand. His first thought was maybe it was a ground quake, but then he remembered Lorne and Zelenka's teams were still at work. With the radio out, they had no way to know what was happening inside the facility.

And there was no way to warn them. Any hesitation John had left was cast aside with that thought. He could not allow the suit to escape the facility. He brushed the fingers of his left hand over the interface, then raised the knife in preparation to cut. In the next instant, the artificial intelligence's subsystems began to boot up. Maybe it was some sort of self-preservation mode on the suit's part that kicked into action or maybe just bad timing, but the suit was coming back online much too fast.

"No," John whispered.

He'd hoped he'd have a little more time. There was more and more activity in the AI's systems and already John was aware of alarms heralding the AI's imminent arrival.

John knew he only had a second or two before he would lose control of his body again. If that happened, his friends would be in danger again. He closed his eyes and raised the knife to his neck again, slipping the sharp edge of the knife under the patch of filaments, when suddenly his body contorted and the suit began to morph again.

His mind flashed white hot as the knife sliced through at least a few of the suit's filaments, but not enough to shut down the suit. John tried to keep from groaning, but the best he could do was scream as he fell to the floor. The suit again tore away at his clothing and skin as it transformed rapid fire from one configuration to the next.

He squeezed his eyes closed, somehow sure McKay was behind the transformations and he was grateful McKay had been able to stop the suit before it was fully online again, though a part of him was furious about his own failure to cut out the neural interface.

The contortions and machinations continued for what felt like an eternity and the longer it went, the more it felt like he was being flailed alive. His thoughts, his body, all he knew was enveloped in an all-encompassing cocoon of endless pain. He was grateful for the reprieve when he finally passed out.

**oOoOoOoOo**

McKay rounded a corner and saw John leaning over an unconscious Ronon with a raised knife. "Oh, crap, he's going to kill Ronon," he whispered.

He scrambled for the kill switch in his pocket so quickly he almost lost his crutch in the process. He aimed it in Sheppard's direction and cringed as he pressed the button, knowing full well what it would do to John.

As John was caught up in another siege of contorted transformations, Rodney rushed over to Ronon, and pulled him a couple of meters away, careful to watch his distance from John.

He glanced in John's direction and caught a glimpse of pure agony in John's face, not that John noticed him or what he was doing.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered to John as he moved to Ronon's other side, trying to stay as far away as possible from John.

Rodney grabbed a nearby crate and put it next to Ronon, intending to sit on it. He paused, wallowing in his guilt. "I'm so, so very sorry."

John was still rapid cycle morphing when Ronon started moving, groaning softly as he fought his way back to consciousness. He looked confused when Rodney awkwardly sat down beside him.

"McKay? What's going on?" Ronon asked as he rubbed his jaw and raised his head, still lying on his back.

Rodney couldn't contain himself, he began spewing some of the emotion he felt swirling around him. "He was going to kill you. Geez, it was close. If I hadn't come along when I did – well, let's put it this way, you would not be talking to me right now."

"Who was going to kill me?" Ronon asked as he squinted against the overhead lighting and moved his jaw from side to side as if it pained him a great deal.

Rodney pointed to John a few meters away. "He had his knife raised and I couldn't risk him stabbing you, so I activated the kill switch again."

Ronon's hand dropped from his jaw and he looked up at McKay in confusion. "What are you talking – "

Ronon stopped speaking when he finally saw John. He got to his knees, his eyes widening at the horrific sight of John and the suit still caught in the transformations on the ground beside him. Ronon reached forward and picked up a knife from the floor near Sheppard.

"That's it. That's the knife Sheppard was going to use on you," Rodney said as he pointed, still actively maintaining his distance from John.

Ronon shook his head. He closed his eyes and said, "He wasn't trying to kill me – he was going to cut out that damned interface on his own. That's why he knocked me out, because I wouldn't let him try it."

"Cut out the interface?" Rodney asked breathlessly.

"Yeah, he was determined to cut himself free from it."

Rodney thought he was going to pass out from sheer guilt as he stared at John in horror. John was still caught up in the swirling mass of moving suit and flesh, and Rodney remembered how he'd avoided looking at John the last time he'd used the kill switch. Now, Rodney couldn't take his eyes off of him.

"No... I was sure... I mean, I thought... Oh, crap, what did I do?"

A moment later, John collapsed and became deathly still. Thank God the terrible morphing had finally stopped. Now, there were even more areas of skin and clothing gone from John's body. Rodney closed his eyes to block out the sight, but the agonizing images were forever seared onto his retinas.

Rodney began to breathe faster and faster as realization of what he'd done swept over him. "You mean, I did – I did this – for_ nothing_? Ah, geez," he stammered as he ran a hand over the back of his neck and he struggled to stand. He had to move. He had to move or he was going to explode. Or puke. He had to move and now.

As Rodney struggled to stand, Ronon went to Sheppard's side to check on him, his expression dark, and Sheppard was so still. Rodney couldn't even see him breathing. He gave up in his attempt to stand and stared at John as he sat on the crate, trying to catch some glimpse of movement, but there was nothing.

By that time, Rodney was sure he'd already had gone way passed the exploding phase and had skipped right to the puking part. He'd just killed his friend for nothing – for nothing for crying out loud. His mouth turned as dry and he asked in a small scared voice, "He's dead, isn't he?"

Ronon's expression was stoic, even for him and told him very little, except that he was pissed. That could only mean one thing.

_Oh, God, I just killed John Sheppard_.

Rodney's heart was in his throat as he waited for confirmation. After an eternity, Ronon shook his head. "No, but he's in a bad way."

Ronon bent over to straighten Sheppard's limbs and turn him onto his back, leaving a bloody trail where Sheppard had been lying on the floor. Rodney couldn't look at Ronon or Sheppard – his eyes were drawn to the growing smear of John's blood on the floor. What had he done, Rodney lamented. Seriously, what had he done?

Rodney looked at the kill switch still in his hand and suddenly it became the epitome of everything that had gone wrong on this damned mission. Without another thought, Rodney threw it against a nearby wall so hard, he almost toppled over. The switch shattered into pieces when it hit the wall and fell to the floor.

Breathing heavily, Rodney exclaimed, "Damn it to hell! I nearly killed Sheppard over nothing!"

Ronon turned to him. "You thought you were saving me."

Ronon paused as he rubbed his injured left arm, staring at the broken pieces of the kill switch. "Destroying that kill switch probably wasn't the brightest thing you've ever done. It was the only thing keeping the suit off of us."

Rodney shook his head, one hand waving in the air dramatically. "It was a one-piece torture machine that worked with the press of a button! I couldn't have used it again, no matter what was happening. Look at Sheppard now. Geez, he's more dead than alive."

Ronon put a hand on Rodney's shoulder. "McKay, get a grip. We've got to contain the situation. We need to find something heavier to tie him up with this time to keep the suit from getting loose again."

McKay shook his head. "I honestly don't think there's anything here that strong."

Ronon chewed on his lip. "Well, we'll do the best we can until Atlantis breaks through."

Rodney's eyes widened and he knew he had to look half-crazed, but it didn't keep him from saying, "The radio! Maybe with the AI offline, we can break through the radio jamming signal."

He pulled out his scanner and punched some buttons. He smiled with the results he found and tapped his radio headset. "Zelenka, do you read?"

There was some static, then Woolsey's voice came over the radio. "It's good to hear your voice, Dr. McKay. Dr. Zelenka is involved at the moment. What happened to the radio signal? We've been unable to reach you."

"It's a long story," Rodney said with a sigh. "And one I don't have time to explain right now. Just tell Zelenka and Lorne to stop all attempts to break through the ventilation system until you hear from me again."

Woolsey's voice was hesitant. "Very well, Dr. McKay, if that is your order, we will stop, though we aren't far from breaking through. Is everything okay there?"

"No, far from it," Rodney answered. "I'll be in touch. McKay out."

Rodney glanced up at Ronon. "I'm going to need both you and Teyla to help me finish up, so I can complete Damisk's backup plan. Come on, there's no time to waste."

Ronon didn't move right away, staring hesitantly at Sheppard. "It doesn't feel right to just leave him here like this."

Rodney waved his fingers in the air. "If we don't get moving, he'll be up and about before I'm ready for him. Come on, move your ass!"

Rodney started to get up, struggling again with his injured knee. Without a word, Ronon helped him up. Rodney began hobbling away with his crutch, and then heard Ronon fall into step behind him. He tried to focus on what he needed to do to finish the magnetic field generator, but still all he saw when he closed his eyes was Sheppard in agony.

It was something that would surely haunt him for the rest of his days – which might not be that long unless he got Damisk's backup plan operational in time.

**oOoOoOoOo**

"Rodney?" Teyla asked as she stood at a computer console, inputting instructions from Rodney and tried catch Rodney's attention, but he was pretty much refusing to acknowledge her attempts at conversation.

All she could see was Rodney's back as he stood on a fork-lift device, working to complete Damisk's magnetic field generator that comprised most of the overhead netting. At times, he told her to flip switches, turn dials, and check the data on Rodney's tablet computer.

There were two sides to the netting with a wide aisle separating them. The netting was heavy with equipment that came in a variety of shapes and sizes with cables linking one piece to the next. Rodney was in the process of finishing the attachments, using the long clear cables that he'd found in a pile of supplies below the netting.

Ronon had helped Rodney to attach some of the heavier equipment to the netting before he left to do a quick check on John's position, watching for any sign that might indicate the artificial intelligence was back online.

Sighing, Teyla tried again. "Rodney, please."

"Working," Rodney replied finally.

She took a deep breath, trying to ignore the dizziness that still plagued her after regaining consciousness. "Yes, I know, you are working on the plan that is supposed to stop the suit once and for all, but you have not gone into much detail about how the plan will play out."

"That's because that would take time and time is something we don't have in great abundance."

Time. Of course, Rodney was right. They didn't have a lot of time to waste, but this was important. Teyla tapped her fingernails on the computer console, praying that this plan of Damisk's – and now Rodney's – would work as designed and without a hitch. Rodney had been uncharacteristically silent, except when he needed Teyla to do something for him – it was unnerving, mostly because it was all so very un-Rodney-like.

She glanced back in the direction Ronon had taken when he left to monitor John – though Rodney insisted there was very little trouble John was now capable of. To hear Rodney tell the story, John was near death.

Teyla didn't disbelieve him, she simply tempered the information with what she knew to be Rodney's tendency toward exaggeration. But then, there had been Ronon's elevated level of concern. If anything, Ronon was the very definition of understatement, so if Ronon was so worried, Rodney's account was probably accurate.

Teyla closed her eyes for a moment as she recalled John's appearance the last time she'd seen him and then tried to imagine it worsened. Her thoughts wouldn't process that image and she sent out a prayer for both John and Rodney.

Finally, she could no longer hold her tongue. "Rodney, I know you are upset about what happened to John," she said, hoping to open the door so that Rodney would begin to release some fraction of his pent-up self-recriminations.

Rodney's response was devoid of Rodney's usual animation, positive or negative. "I'm not talking about that right now, Teyla," he said without looking toward her. "Maybe not ever. Right now, I need to stay focused. So, please test the conductivity of this component using the gauge on the upper right-hand side of the console."

As Teyla tested the conductivity, she thought back to the brief explanation Ronon had given her upon his return with Rodney. What little she had heard about the incident nearly broke her heart. The inner turmoil Rodney was trying so hard to suppress only shone more brightly as he went back to work. She let her imagination paint a picture of what Rodney was going through right now and it was a heart-wrenching portrait. At best, Rodney was living with the knowledge he had driven John to unconsciousness with seizures and excruciating pain. At worst, he'd nearly killed him over a misunderstanding.

Poor Rodney. No wonder he was so withdrawn.

She continued, despite what Rodney had said, "John would never blame you for acting in what you thought were Ronon's best interests, even if it did cause him pain."

Rodney stopped for a moment without looking over at her, then resumed his work. "Activate the alternate circuitry and tell me what you see."

She did as he asked, then pressed forward again. "Rodney, please – "

"Teyla," he said in a rush still not looking at her. "I don't have time for any more of your touchy-feely moments. I did what I did and I'll have to live with that. The operative word being _live_, because if I don't complete these modifications, we'll all be dead and it won't matter."

Teyla nodded as she took in a calming breath. "Very well, Rodney. The alternate circuitry shows it is active. What do you need from me next?"

Rodney licked his lips and nodded an unspoken thanks to her. "There are some figures to be inputted from my tablet computer. Do you see them at the top of the screen?"

"Yes."

"Start typing them in. I'll be down in a moment."

She began filling in the blanks on the monitor screen. When Rodney was beside her, his mood seemed a little less dark and she asked, "Rodney, what do you think happened to Damisk?"

As Rodney typed on the keyboard, he said, "I think he ran out of time. He had the components to the magnetic field generator in place, just not attached and functioning – at least not all of them attached. Maybe Damisk had thought the first phase of the magnetic field the equipment generated would be enough to incapacitate the suit or maybe he overestimated its abilities. Bottom line, he screwed up."

Teyla glanced at the area around him. "Could that explain the degree of disarray this area is in? It appears there were violent explosions here – look, there on that canister. Those are scorch marks that extend down its side onto the floor."

Rodney nodded absently. "Activating a field generator of this capacity would wreak havoc with most electronic systems, even the operation of Ancient systems, which are usually shielded from that kind of effect, and that no doubt resulted in significant explosions. It might be behind the scrambling of the computer's database, now that I think about it."

He finished typing in his figures and pressed enter. The computer screen was filled with numbers and equations. Rodney watched closely as the data scrolled by. "Actually, I think Damisk had tried in several ways to protect the outside world from the dangers of his work with the way he designed the facility. Some of Damisk's entries explained that the false canopy above the cavern was designed to collapse if ever the facility was compromised in order to destroy all outside evidence of its presence. The high-pitched frequencies I detected were part of an alarm to keep anyone with the Ancient gene away from the facility."

Teyla stood idle for a moment. "It would seem you have unraveled a good portion of the mystery surrounding this place."

Rodney grunted. "Just call me Sherlock Holmes, my good Watson, but all of that information won't do us one bit of good if I can't get Sheppard out of that damned suit."

Teyla nodded. She looked over where Ashina was lying. "I should check on Ashina."

Rodney glanced in the child's direction and a pained look came over his face. "She hasn't been awake in a very long time, not even with all the excitement we had."

Teyla sighed. "Yes, it is most disturbing. I only hope that once we are free, Jennifer will be able to treat her."

Rodney grunted, his dark mood returning. "_Once _we are free? Don't you mean _if_ we get free?"

She shook her head. "No, I meant what I said. It will happen, Rodney."

Rodney sighed. "Yeah, but will it be in time – "

He stopped in mid-sentence. When she turned back to him, he was snapping his fingers, then he stopped to refer to Damisk's recorder. After staring at it in deep concentration, he looked up at the netting, then back to the recorder. He squinted at the netting again, straightening his shoulders as he nodded.

"Time!" he said as he put away the recorder. "That's it! That's the glitch!"

He laughed out loud as he waved her back. "Teyla, I'd kiss you if it wouldn't be grossly inappropriate for one team member to kiss another! Please, come here. I need you for a moment," he said as he took his tablet computer and went to stand under one side of the netting.

There was a renewed sense of confidence and Rodney wore a smile on his face for the first time in what seemed like days. She basked in its radiance for a moment, then she moved closer to him. "What happened?"

Without turning in her direction, he answered, "I think I see where Damisk went wrong. It was in the timing of the two phases. At least, I hope that's the problem."

He made one more connection and said, "Okay, Teyla, try the link. What do you see?"

Teyla looked and shook her head. "Nothing."

"Damn it!" Rodney exclaimed, slamming his crutch against the shelving beside him. "I thought I had it!"

"Keep trying, Rodney. You are so close."

"It should work, damn it, so come on, work for me," he whispered as he adjusted a setting on a nearby piece of equipment. He scratched at the back of his neck and took a deep breath, then he said, "Focus, McKay, damn it."

"I must check on Ashina," Teyla said after a few minutes, but Rodney didn't act as though he'd heard her.

She went to the sleeping child. Ashina was still unconscious. The longer she remained unresponsive, the more Teyla worried about her. She brushed her fingers along Ashina's forehead and put Soho in the front pocket of her shirt to make sure it didn't get lost. Ashina would want it when she awakened.

She began humming the melody to Ashina's song _The Moon and the Sun Are Sisters_, hoping the music might reach some part of her when all the other noise that had been going on hadn't and finally rouse her, but the child never stirred.

Teyla jumped when she heard a clatter and saw Rodney kicking away some debris at his feet not far from her.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle," he said, frustration echoing in his tone as he rubbed at the knot on his forehead. "This is _so_ not working."

He went back to the computer console.

Teyla rubbed at the knot on her own forehead. Her head throbbed and she was fairly certain she'd sustained a mild concussion, but that was the least of their worries right now. She returned to Rodney, content the child was as well taken care of as could possibly be done at the moment and placed a hand on Rodney's forearm. "Perhaps you had a brief break to eat – "

Rodney shook his head, his grumpy disposition back in place. "Who's got time to eat?" he growled.

"You need to maintain – "

He slammed the regulator in his hand down on the console. "No, I need to stop this nightmare and get Sheppard and Ashina to Atlantis – that's what I need to do and I'd be doing it if I wasn't constantly being interrupted – " he stopped, bit his lip, and slapped a hand over his eyes.

Forcing himself to take a deep breath, he said, "Damn, I'm sorry, Teyla. I didn't mean to bite your head off."

Teyla shook her head. "We are all under a great deal of stress. Do not worry over it. They are just words."

"Just words?" Rodney said as he hooked his tablet computer into one of the cables hanging down from the netting that he'd been working on earlier. He took another deep breath and seemed to will more calmness into his body. "There's a saying on Earth that goes, sticks and stones may break my bones – " he started.

Teyla smiled and added the rest of the words. "But words will never hurt me. Yes, I know that rhyme. Dr. Zelenka has spoken of it before when discussing you – I mean, well, there was not any intended – "

Rodney grunted. "I know what you meant and I even understand that I was probably the basis for the moral of the story, but right now – "

"Right now, you have work to do. Yes, I know." She caught his gaze. "Just try to remember this, we will all survive this challenge, and one day I will regale Torren's children with tales of our exploits."

Rodney searched her face, as if he were looking for visual confirmation of her steadfast belief of their survival. His deep blue eyes held unspoken doubts. Then he looked away, nodding slightly, as if maybe, deep down, he also held onto that belief, though his conviction might not have been as strong as Teyla's. "We need to get back to work. Throw that red switch over there when I give you the word."

Time. It was all about time. Their lives depended upon having enough to enact their plan. How things would play out, she had no idea, but they had a chance and that prospect was enough to keep her going.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	17. Chapter 17

Hi, this was edited to streamline things and make it a little more aesthetically pleasing. The last two chapters should be out in the next few weeks. I finally like the rewrites. I hope you do, too!

**Chapter Seventeen**

After a few minutes of consciousness, John realized he was truly alone. He couldn't even see Ronon lurking around the shadows. Maybe the others had finally come to their senses and were now keeping their distance. Then again, John had no idea of what was really going on.

He wrapped his arms around his middle and rolled onto his side, drawing his knees up toward his chest. Damn, he hurt. The pain made it almost impossible to stop shaking. Looking down, he could see he'd left a swath of blood smears on the floor beneath him. That wasn't a good sign.

His breathing was rough. Each breath seemed to be a struggle and didn't bring nearly enough air with it. Yeah, that broken rib must have done some damage when it popped. He tried to recall his last memories before everything became a hazy blur of misery, but at least he was pretty sure the others were still safe.

He froze when he sensed the AI booting up its systems again. _No, not yet, damn it! _

He'd hardly been conscious five minutes – not nearly enough time to do anything. Crap, he'd just wasted precious seconds, seconds he could have used to cut that interface out. He tried to get to his knees, but faltered and fell back to his side.

More systems activated and he felt his limbs obeying this time as he moved to get to his knees – but they were obeying the orders issued by the AI, and his previous lack of muscular strength was now augmented by the suit. He fought to remain in place to no avail.

Soon, he was on his feet again. The laser unit appeared on his right wrist and flashed red. "Okay, here we go again," John whispered, setting his jaw and his attitude, preparing to battle the suit every step of the way.

As he began to resist, he realized the suit didn't seem to have the same level of control over his body that it had previously possessed. _What the hell..._

Then he smiled. It wasn't much of a smile, a tired, crooked half-smile really, but it felt like a huge grin. Okay, so maybe he hadn't been able to completely sever the neural interface, but it seemed he'd been able to cut at least some of the filaments before the rapid fire transformations took over his mind and body.

It was about time things started going his way.

The AI directed his body to move forward and John literally dug his heels in. The pressure to follow the AI's orders was overwhelming. It demanded his complete attention to keep it in check. In the back of his thoughts, John tried to put things in their proper prospective. He realized he might have wrestled a little more control away from the suit, but it was only a small portion of the overall picture. Still, he told himself it was progress, and that was all that mattered.

He heard a sound from one side and caught a glimpse of Ronon on the run. Good, now they knew he was up. Maybe the others would keep their guard up this time. One thing was for sure, he was going to do all he could to keep them alive.

**oOoOoOoOo**

Ronon jogged all the way back to McKay and Teyla while clutching his left arm as close to his chest as possible to immobilize the limb. There were sharp jabs of pain that flashed up and down its length with each step, but he forced himself to ignore it. Dwelling on the pain was a distraction and distractions were something they couldn't afford.

Finally, he arrived back with the others. McKay had made a lot of progress since Ronon had left them – at least, there were several more connections done than before.

Teyla smiled at him and raised an eyebrow as he approached.

"Rodney," she said softly, getting McKay's attention. She turned back to Ronon. "What did you find?"

McKay glanced at Ronon, then cursed as he finished what he was doing. "It's not good, whatever it is, I can tell you that much," McKay grumbled, accurately reading Ronon's expression.

Ronon nodded. "Time's up. You better be done."

McKay moved as quickly as he could while gesturing for Ronon to retrieve a piece of equipment lying at their feet. "Why is there never enough time to simply finish a project without the proverbial blade of a guillotine hanging over my head ready to drop any moment?"

"That's because you work best when you're about to die," Ronon said simply.

McKay grunted something indiscernible, and continued to work as Teyla finished what she was doing. "How is John?" she asked quietly.

"He was up and on his feet." Ronon started, then frowned. "But he's not doing so good. His breathing's off, probably a broken rib."

McKay grunted again. "Courtesy of that damned suit."

Ronon nodded. "At least he's still moving."

Ronon's voice trailed off and Teyla noticed it. "What is it, Ronon?"

"There was something in Sheppard's expression after he got to his feet. He was... well, he was... "

As Teyla waited for him to finish his thought, it was obvious her concern increased the longer he paused. "Ronon?" she said finally.

Ronon shook his head and put out a hand to put her at ease. "No, it's not bad – it's just he was... smiling."

"Smiling?" McKay said as he spliced some wiring. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Perhaps he's finally gaining some ground over the suit?" Teyla offered.

McKay shook his head without looking away from his work. "Well, we can ask him about it later, as in when this nightmare is over. Right now, you guys have work to do. Hurry, take these flux augmenters and connect them to that processor over there – that silver and white box with cables running from its side, while I run another simulation on my computer. And be careful. We can't afford to have any mishaps at the moment."

No one spoke as they completed their instructions. By the time they were done, McKay was finished with his simulation. "It, uh, well, it _looks_ like it will work."

"What's the plan, McKay?" Ronon asked as he approached McKay with Teyla trailing behind him.

McKay looked around, chewing his lip. "Well, the way Damisk had it set up and by the way we found the skeletons, I believe Damisk waited for the suit at this end of the aisle and allowed the suit to enter the outer edges of the staging area over there."

"And you said Damisk only used the first phase of the magnetic field that was generated?" Teyla asked.

"Yes, but we've got everything set up now, so both phases should activate. It should go boom, then boom... and hopefully not _boom, boom, boom_ as in blowing up the facility with us in it. I think Damisk must have set off the first phase and the suit attacked him, but the suit was deactivated before Damisk could do anything more. There's only a brief window of time after the first phase starts before the second phase needs to be triggered, if it is to work correctly. All we need is the bait for the trap."

He looked a little sick, then added, "Which, I guess, would be me."

Teyla moved closer to him. "Rodney, you do not need to put yourself in harm's way like this."

McKay shook his head. "You're wrong. We've got to do everything possible for me to get Sheppard in the right place, so I can activate the weapon at the first opportunity."

As McKay spoke, Ronon checked the aisle closest to them for Sheppard's approach. Unable to stay in one place, Ronon paced softly, but there was no sign of Sheppard. He turned back to McKay. "What if the suit tries to use its laser on you again?"

McKay swallowed hard, then shook his head. "I don't think the suit will. The end result of that would leave me damaged and the suit without another host. I don't believe it can take that chance."

Ronon nodded. "Sounds like that was Damisk's thinking, too."

McKay put up a pointed finger. "Yes, but he didn't know what I now know. Trust me, I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think it would work."

Teyla licked her lips. "What will happen to John when you activate the magnetic field generator?"

McKay's expression fell and his frowning gaze darted around the area as he took a deep breath. "I'm – I'm not sure," he said finally.

"Will it harm him?" Teyla asked cautiously.

McKay became defensive. "Well, uh, you know, harm can be such a relative term."

"Rodney," Teyla said firmly.

McKay sighed. "Well, I certainly hope not, but it's possible."

"Will it be a reaction similar to the kill switch?" she asked after a moment.

McKay's voice was grave when he answered, "No, this will be far more spectacular."

Ronon had moved down to another aisle and had to twist back to look at McKay. "What's that mean?"

McKay shrugged slightly. "I mean, there will be explosions. A magnetic field of this intensity will hit the electronics inside the facility particularly hard."

Teyla was still for a moment. "But there are electrical circuits within the suit holding John captive."

McKay looked a little more sick. "Yeah, among other things."

Teyla's eyebrow went up and Ronon asked the question so apparent on Teyla's lips. "Will the suit blow up with Sheppard in it?"

McKay shook his head. "No, not that. Well, not exactly. I mean, the dynamics of the suit are such that it should contain most of the disruption within its material."

He chewed on his lip for a moment. "I _think _he will be okay. It won't be good, but all we can hope for is that he survives it."

Ronon thought he heard a noise, so he glanced down the aisle, but couldn't find the source. There was still no Sheppard, which surprised Ronon a little. He walked a little ways down to the next aisle over and glanced down it, but it was empty, too. He wondered if he should do a quick reconnoiter.

As he came around toward the others, he saw that they were watching him, as if waiting for his proclamation of trouble. He shook his head and said, "He's not here yet, but he should show up any minute."

McKay sighed deeply in relief and Ronon thought it was strange. After all, it was such a little reprieve. They all knew Sheppard was bound to make it over to them – in fact, part of their plan depended upon it. Ronon didn't think his comment warranted the intensity of McKay's relief, but then McKay overreacted most of the time anyway – maybe more so now, since he was running on fumes. All of them were. There was no way around it, but Ronon understood McKay's apprehension. None of them wanted to cause Sheppard any more pain.

McKay started walking over to the other end of the magnetic field generator. He waved to Teyla. "You better get Ashina and get as far away from here as possible. Don't forget to take off your radio headset, Teyla. Don't want that blowing up in your ear."

When Teyla and Ronon didn't move on command, McKay swirled a hand in the air impatiently as he removed his own radio headset with his other hand. "Come on, get moving. As in now. We don't have all day."

McKay took his tablet computer and started limping away from Teyla and Ronon. Ronon rubbed a hand over his face as Teyla turned to get Ashina. He just wanted this whole thing to be over with, but Ronon knew in his gut there was trouble when he heard Teyla gasp and he drew his blaster.

When he looked over, he saw Sheppard was standing over Ashina down a nearby aisle. She was asleep on her pallet with Sheppard's laser pointed directly at her. Ronon had his blaster still aimed at Sheppard, but he wasn't quite sure what to do. McKay must have caught sight of Sheppard, too, because he cursed under his breath.

Ronon took a step closer to Sheppard, only to stop when Sheppard waved him off.

Fear and concern marked Teyla's drawn features as she said, "John?"

She shifted her position, moving slowly closer as she put a hand in Sheppard's direction. "Remember our vow to get Ashina safely back to her parents? If any of us survive this ordeal, let it be the child. I will be your hostage instead."

Sheppard closed his eyes, obviously at war with the dictates of the suit and he didn't seem to be winning in his battle to control the suit. Sheppard's face was dark red from the strain and to make matters worse, his breathing difficulties were so pronounced, they were hard to ignore.

"I... won't let... it hurt... Ashina," Sheppard said finally, opening his eyes.

The grimace on his face didn't reassure Ronon that Sheppard could actually avoid hurting her, but the fire in his eyes told a different story. Even so, Ronon moved to get a slightly better angle to attack Sheppard if he had to.

"Sheppard," Ronon said after he came to a stop, waiting for Sheppard to look at him. "How much control do you have? More or less than before?"

Sheppard's gaze darted away. "Can't control... the laser – at least... not completely," he said at last, guilt echoing in his hoarse voice. "But... I can stand... my ground... better now."

"Is it because of what you did when you tried to cut out the interface?" Ronon asked softly as he moved again to improve his position.

Sheppard gave a quick nod.

Teyla straightened, understanding dawning in her eyes. "It does not seem to be trying to stop you from speaking as it did before."

There was another quick nod, along with a slight smile as he spoke between gasps. "It can't... form the face mask now... wish I would have... realized that before... I got this far. I could have... warned you... I was coming."

The smile faded away as Sheppard stared at Ashina. "But I'm... not strong enough... to keep... the laser from... targeting her."

Teyla took a step toward him, preparing to touch his arm, and Sheppard shook his head. "Don't. Don't move yet. Any of you."

Sheppard closed his eyes, his rapid breathing going so fast, it was almost panting and it became the only sound in the area. After a long moment, he whispered, "No... you will not... hurt her. You will not... hurt any of them."

Sheppard forced himself to take a long, careful breath, his face sweaty from the intense effort of fighting against the suit's will, and then he let it out quickly. "Now, Ronon, get her."

Ronon didn't waste a moment. He scooped up the child and started moving down the aisle toward McKay, leaving Teyla alone with Sheppard. Ronon almost turned back to return to Teyla, to give her some backup, but then he thought of the young one in his arms and knew what was his greater responsibility.

Teyla said, "You can beat the AI, John. You already have in so many ways. Do not let it defeat you now."

With his eyes still closed, Sheppard nodded once. "Go," he rasped and Teyla complied immediately, moving down the aisle. She was almost to Ronon when she stopped and glanced back.

"You _can_ defeat it," she said with unwavering resolve.

For a moment, there was no sound from Sheppard, except for his raspy breathing, then he opened his eyes, fixing his stare on his friends. There was something almost tangible in his gaze that connected with Ronon. Ronon was about to say something to him when Sheppard's eyes rolled up into his head and he started jerking.

_Damn, not another seizure._

"Crap," McKay muttered from his position behind Ronon.

Sheppard fell to the ground, his limbs jerking to the random misfiring inside of his brain. Ronon knew Jennifer would have known exactly what was happening and why, along with what to do next. Ronon's best guess was it was most likely being caused by Sheppard's resistance to the neural interface.

Ronon handed Ashina to Teyla and returned to Sheppard's side. The seizure stopped as quickly as it had started, leaving Sheppard limp and motionless, except for the slight rise and fall of his chest. Ronon knelt down and put his fingers to Sheppard's wrist to reassure himself Sheppard's heart was still beating.

McKay waved a hand. "Forget all that, Ronon! While he's out, move him into position. We may not get a better opportunity!"

Ronon nodded. He took Sheppard by his feet and began dragging him down the aisle of the magnetic field generator, leaving behind a trail of blood. Ronon could hear Teyla and McKay discussing something in a way that almost sounded like an argument, but Ronon was too far away to hear specifics.

"That's far enough," McKay shouted. "Now, get the hell out of here. This won't be a very safe place to be hanging out in a few moments."

Teyla's voice was as firm as Ronon had ever heard it. "Rodney, I will only say you this one more time. You do not have to do this."

McKay waved his fingers to hurry her along. "Yeah, yeah, I know, but I'm the only one who can. Now, get moving."

Teyla hesitated. Ronon moved up behind her. "Come on, Teyla, let him do what he needs to do."

Ronon patted McKay on the shoulder as they passed him. "End this once and for all."

McKay nodded. "Yeah."

There was some noise from the other end of the aisle and Ronon could see Sheppard was waking up. McKay cursed again, then said, "Move it. We don't have much time. Just get as far away from here as you possibly can. It won't be pretty when I set it off."

Teyla nodded finally and started to move away. "Be safe," she said as Ronon ushered her along.

McKay nodded, but the look he gave Ronon told Ronon McKay didn't think their odds of survival were that great. Then again, that was McKay's personal opinion and he was almost always sure he was going to die at least once during every mission.

Still, Ronon felt more than a little unsettled as he left McKay alone with Sheppard.

**oOoOoOoOo**

"I seriously need to have my head examined," Rodney muttered to himself as he adjusted a setting on his tablet computer, then hefted the control for magnetic field generator in his other hand. "And I also need to forget that the last guy who did this wound up very dead."

Rodney took a deep breath. Never in his wildest dreams had he envisioned constructing magnetic fields on this scale and intensity. It was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time, but if it would free Sheppard from that damn suit, then it would be worth it.

"Ah, crap, I almost forgot," he said as he pulled out his radio and put it on, then he tapped it on. "Major Lorne, I'm about to activate the magnetic field generator. Are all of your people on the surface?"

"Yes, sir, we are positioned right outside as per your orders."

"Good, stay there until after the fireworks are done and make sure all of your equipment is shut down. I don't think the EM field will affect anything on the surface, but shut everything down to be sure. To tell you the truth, I'm not quite sure what to expect, but I have a feeling it will be pretty big. And don't waste any time getting in here afterwards, though, because... well, because there are people in need."

"Understood. We'll be ready, sir. Good luck."

As Rodney took his radio headset from his ear and set it on top of the computer console beside him, he noticed John was beginning to move more. After a moment, John rolled over onto his knees and looked around. He nodded to Rodney at the far end of the aisle after catching sight of him. He got to his feet, but he was obviously battling the suit again.

"McKay... get out... of here!"

"You forget there's nowhere to get to. Don't worry. I've got it all figured out."

The movements John made were stilted, as if every motion was a major contest of wills.

"I already... told you... how to fix this – " John stopped, his gaze distant. Then, the drilling laser rose up on John's right forearm and he shouted, "The suit remembers... something about... being here before – about being... in this area before."

Rodney nodded. "With good reason. Hang on, this isn't going to be fun."

Rodney pressed the control for the magnetic field generator.

And nothing happened.

Rodney had been ready for fireworks and big explosions – end of the world kind of stuff. But nothing happened.

"Ah, crap," he whispered.

He grabbed his tablet computer and began running diagnostics, muttering, "It was working two minutes ago. What the hell happened?"

He glanced up and saw the laser taking aim at him. "Oh, double crap," he said as he darted behind a nearby storage bin, his fingers flying over the tablet.

"Rodney... " Sheppard started with his typical drawl.

"Hold on a minute," he shouted back.

"Hold on? You're... kidding, right?"

Rodney shook his head _He's half dead and he's still giving me shit._

The diagnostic was running. _Damn it, this should be working!_

"Watch out!" Sheppard yelled.

A split-second later, a huge piece of equipment that must have weighed two hundred kilos landed with a thunderous crash several meters away from Rodney.

"Crap, crap, crap," Rodney said, shaking his head as he ducked further away. That was too damned close for comfort.

He briefly wondered if he should just turn tail and run, then sighed and checked his tablet computer instead. He couldn't abandon Sheppard when he needed him most. Besides, what was his alternative? To wait until the suit finally got him or one of the others? No, he had no other choice.

The diagnostic finished and it revealed a faulty link to the console he'd been working on earlier. It was across the aisle from him, but it might as well have been across the continental divide.

Reaching up, Rodney made an adjustment to the link beside him and hit the control device again.

Nothing.

"Damn, this just isn't fair," he whined.

"Incoming!" Sheppard shouted hoarsely.

Another piece of equipment came sailing through the air, this time closer, landing less than two meters away.

Rodney's head popped up, his thoughts flashing red with anger. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Not a... willing participant... remember?" John shouted, then groaned. Sounding much weaker, he said, "Get... your ass... moving!"

"What do you think I'm doing? Just standing around here smoking cigarettes?" McKay shouted back.

Sheppard didn't say anything in reply.

When Rodney peeked out, Sheppard was on his knees, gasping for air. He looked to be in very bad shape.

"Crap," Rodney said for probably the umpteenth time since they'd entered the facility.

Rodney glanced at the console and saw a light blinking at him. He looked up at the netting and sighed. The second barrage of flying equipment must have hit part of the netting and damaged one of the weaker circuits further. He studied the schematics on Damisk's recorder for a moment.

"Okay, okay, I can work around that," he whispered, though he had to admit it sounded more like a pep talk than a statement of fact.

Rodney finished his bypass and saw something he didn't like on his tablet computer. It seemed it wasn't the links to the computer console, but the console itself was malfunctioning. With a flash of inspiration, he realized he could bypass the console completely – if he had enough time.

He began to work frantically, praying Sheppard's silence was a good thing, but he jumped when he heard a noise behind him and he turned to see Ronon.

"Told you to get away from here," Rodney said breathlessly, putting a hand over his heart.

Ronon shrugged. "Figured you might need some help, especially after I heard the crashes. Why haven't you hit the button yet?"

Rodney grunted as he squinted at his tablet computer. "Not for a lack of trying."

Rodney cursed under his breath, staring at the console across from them.

"What's wrong?"

Rodney pointed a finger. "It's that damned console. I'd got to disable it somehow... "

His eyes widened as he grabbed Ronon's shirt. "Ronon, your weapon! That console is screwing up the works! Blast it to smithereens! I need for it to be offline ASAP!"

Ronon looked at him in confusion, but followed his orders.

"Stand back," Ronon said, pushing McKay behind him.

Two shots later, the console was a smoldering mass of junk.

Rodney peeked out and caught sight of Sheppard on his feet again and he was approaching them.

"Okay, it should work this time. All I've got to do is activate the control... " he whispered, thinking his whole life had come down to this moment as he fiddled with the control device. Whether he would live or die in the few seconds was completely unknown and he despised not having control over his fate, but what could he do?

"No more time," Rodney whispered finally.

Ronon clapped him on the back and said, "Do it, McKay."

Rodney nodded and pressed the button – and then all hell broke loose.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	18. Chapter 18

Here we go! Sorry for the long wait, but I hope you will enjoy the end result! Take care!

**Chapter Eighteen**

The first blast took Teyla by surprise, even though she had mentally braced herself for its appearance. The second explosion left her reeling. It seemed to encompass most of the facility with a blinding white flash. The concussion knocked her to her knees. Debris flew everywhere. She bent over, protecting Ashina with her own body even as her heart pounded with worry for the others.

She had a flash of déjà vu. For the second time on this mission, she was alone with Ashina – and the fate of her friends unknown. She wanted to run to them but the subsequent blasts going on in the aftermath of the main explosions quelled that thought.

Teyla's senses seemed much more acute in the ensuing seconds, but it was probably just the adrenaline pumping through her system. Even though her ears were still ringing from the blasts, she listened hard for some sort of sound from the others.

Most of the lights had been blown out, along with all kinds of other equipment, though the flames of several burning fires scattered around the area lent enough ambient light for her to see by – yet, there was nothing she could see of the others.

The smoke was noxious, causing her to take in tiny breaths instead of inhaling a lung-full of the stuff. Hopefully, the facility's ventilation system was still functioning well enough to save them from smoke inhalation. Then again, a little smoke was the least of their worries right then.

There was no sign of the others, alive or dead, and that detail was killing her.

Teyla straightened, cradling Ashina under her chin and she returned to where she'd left Rodney as quickly as she could, but she was beginning to cough harder from the smoke. When she realized the full scope of the damage wreaked by the magnetic field generator, air suddenly seemed to be an unimportant afterthought.

If the area had looked scarred before, it was nothing to compare to the destruction present now. Entire aisles had been leveled. There was very little of the netting still hanging from above and there was debris strewn all around.

And the fact she couldn't see any sign of the others made her stomach twist with worry.

"Ronon? Rodney? John?" she called out, carefully stepping over the rubble, using her cane to help support her as she carried Ashina.

She gasped when she nearly stepped on Ronon. His back was covered with lightweight rubble as he lay sprawled over Rodney in a protective pose. Setting Ashina down beside her, she moved much of the rubble away, then paused to feel for Ronon's pulse. Thankfully, it was there, beating in its slow steady rhythm. His face was covered in a layer of dust and grime. She put her hand to his cheek, but he didn't react to her touch.

Rodney moaned from underneath Ronon. Positioned as Rodney was with Ronon's body between her and him, and surrounded by other pieces of equipment blocking her direct access to Rodney, all Teyla could do was reach out and pat Rodney on the arm to help calm him.

"Rodney? Can you hear me?" she asked. The moaning slowed a little, then resumed again.

She started to try and move Ronon off of Rodney, but he was dead weight and she stopped for fear of aggravating any possible injury for either man. She would let the medical teams move them, it would be safer for all concerned that way. Stepping clear of Rodney and Ronon, she glanced around for any sign of John. Again, she was caught up in a time loop that repeated their situation of the past few days. John had been okay the last time she'd searched for him, as were the others, but how long could their luck possibly hold out?

She caught sight of John. He was lying on his back at the far end of the aisle that had once comprised the magnetic field generator, as if he'd been blasted off his feet and slid until he stopped where he now was.

"Rodney, I will be right back," she told him, just in case he could hear her. She glanced back at Ashina who was lying beside Rodney and Ronon, but she hadn't stirred. "Please stay out a little longer, child," she whispered. "I won't be long."

The lighting was dimmer where John was lying, so Teyla retrieved her flashlight. She switched it on to see the suit basically lying in a dark puddle surrounding John's body. It was now only a vague remnant of the ominous danger that had been plaguing them for days. The parts of the suit's inner workings – the circuitry and other apparatus – seemed to be cast haphazardly into the black puddle. It was strange to see what had been so much danger was now so much nothing.

John's appearance without the suit presented a starker portrayal of how much he had suffered. His uniform was in tatters and the wounds seen through the holes in the suit were ghastly. Teyla's hands hovered over him for a minute, unsure of what injury to address first.

She heard a rumbling, then there was another blast that spewed very little debris. She bent down, automatically protecting John, but it wasn't necessary since the blast was across the facility. She rose up again and turned toward the blast area. That had to be Atlantis. Help was on the way.

Through the haze of dust in the air, Teyla saw Major Lorne and his men come pouring through the hole in the wall made by the detonation. Major Lorne spoke to his men. "Maintain this perimeter. Do not let anything through and I mean anything. Use whatever means you need to, up to and including explosives and the anti-artillery guns."

She straightened and waved to get his attention. "Major Lorne! Over here!"

His demeanor shifted the moment he saw Teyla. As she waited for him to arrive, she found herself breathing faster with the knowledge their ordeal was nearly over.

"Teyla," he said, patting her on the arm as he stopped beside her. "We heard the explosion. Is it safe to let the medical teams in yet?"

Teyla nodded. "Yes, the suit has been rendered inert, so it is safe to enter the facility. We have injured and they need immediate medical attention."

"Understood. Just a second while I touch base with the others."

Major Lorne turned to speak to one of his men, then he was on his radio. Again, she glanced toward Ashina, who lay unmoving. Worry flooded Teyla, but she had to dealwith the worst injured first. Teyla returned to John. She lowered herself to the ground using her cane and a nearby wall, and then reached out to put her fingers on John's carotid. His pulse was fast and weak, his breathing fast and shallow, and his color was bad.

Teyla turned back to Lorne. "We need the medical teams – "

Lorne nodded. "ASAP – I know. They are on their way, along with Woolsey, once they get the all-clear sign."

Teyla frowned. "All-clear sign?"

"Dr. Zelenka needs to confirm the suit is... inert as you said, before we send in any other teams."

It made sense, except Teyla didn't feel very practical at the moment. She wanted the medical teams there, treating her friends already. No, she wanted more than that. She wanted them all back on Atlantis, safe and sound.

Instead, she said, "Of course."

Radek popped into view, and Teyla wasn't sure when he had entered the facility, just that he was now there. He moved quickly, as if Jennifer had lit a fire under him, and knowing Jennifer, she probably had.

Radek greeted her, holding his scanner and wearing a backpack. "Teyla, I heard what you said to Major Lorne over my radio, that the threat of the suit, for lack of a better name, has been neutralized?"

Teyla nodded.

Radek's gaze darted all around them. "Where – " he started to ask.

She pointed to where John was lying. "There, that puddle of black liquid lying beneath him. That was what once comprised the suit."

Radek knelt down, his appearance disheveled and dirty. She remembered, he'd also been nonstop working for days trying to free them. Radek stiffened as he stared at John. "Oh, my, Colonel Sheppard_ is_ badly injured. I will work as quickly as I can." He pointed a finger at the liquid, then at some of the circuitry that remained. "And this is all that is left of the suit?"

Teyla sighed and nodded.

"Amazing. May I?" he asked, activating his scanner. "Just to be sure before we go any further."

"Yes, of course," Teyla said, her gaze going back to the opening. "As long as this doesn't delay the medical teams any longer than necessary."

Radek didn't reply right away. He did one test and then another. It seemed to be taking forever. Teyla was about to say something when Radek finally nodded. "No, I'm not getting any readings whatsoever. It is safe to bring in the others."

Mr. Woolsey came through the opening next. Teyla was glad to see him, but her friends needed medical attention. Major Lorne noticed her apprehension as she struggled to stand and he helped her to her feet.

"It's okay, Teyla. The medical teams are in the ventilation shaft right now. They should be showing up any moment. Maybe you should try and rest a little."

She shook her head. "I am fine. But the colonel and the others – they need medical treat – "

She paused when she saw the first medical team come through with Keller leading the way. She let out a long sigh. By then, Mr. Woolsey was at Teyla's side.

Mr. Woolsey's eyes were wide as he took in the area. "I assume this is the aftermath of the blasts we heard?"

Teyla nodded, then stepped forward, awaiting Jennifer's arrival as Jennifer jogged over to them. "How are they?" Jennifer asked, adjusting her stethoscope to hang around her neck as she came to a stop.

Teyla pointed to John. "They all need medical care, but I fear John's situation is the most dire."

As Jennifer knelt down beside John, Teyla closed her eyes. With Jennifer's presence, Teyla knew everyone would be taken care of and she sighed, as if a weight was now taken off her shoulders.

"Whoa," Lorne said, and then Teyla felt his hands steadying her arm and shoulder.

Someone else's hand went to her back and she heard Mr. Woolsey speaking, now much closer to her. "Get a medic," he ordered.

Blinking several times, Teyla realized she had almost collapsed. Lorne was starting to direct her away from John, saying, "I think you better sit down before you fall down."

Teyla shook her head. "Honestly, I am fine. Just tired and sore. I let my attention wander. It will not happen again. Please see to the others. I'd rather stay on my feet until they have been seen."

Major Lorne glanced down at Jennifer as she knelt beside John. Jennifer studied Teyla for a moment. "Are you sure, Teyla?"

Teyla straightened her shoulders. "I would not request it if I could not."

Jennifer licked her lips, then nodded. "Okay, if Teyla says she can stand, then let her."

Teyla gave her a smile, hoping it conveyed the depth of her gratitude. An argument with Jennifer right then would have been counterproductive. Turning back to John, Jennifer added, "But stay close to her, Major, just in case."

Mr. Woolsey cleared his throat. "While we wait, Teyla, perhaps you can explain what we missed during the radio interference."

Teyla nodded, gathering her words as she rubbed at the knot on her forehead. "It will take some time to relay everything."

"Save that for the debrief. Just the highlights."

"Just the highlights," she repeated with a sigh. No matter how she did it, it would still take considerable time.

**oOoOoOoOo**

"What about the neural interface in his neck?" Teyla asked after Jennifer had finished with her examination of John. "What do you see?"

"Nothing." Jennifer shook her head. "Though, I will need to put him under the scanners back home before I can say anything definite. It is encouraging that we can no longer see any of the filaments. It would be nice if that all dissolved away with the suit's loss of cohesion. We'll just have to see what we find with the additional tests."

Jennifer stood. "Okay, the colonel's vital signs are stronger now with the medication and IV in place. He's as stable as I can get him. Let's go ahead and move him out."

Teyla watched as the medical team picked up John's body to place him on the litter, leaving the pool of black goo on the floor behind him, and she felt the tense knot of muscles at the back of her shoulders relax. John was finally free of that abomination.

Mr. Woolsey put his hand to Teyla's back. "How about I accompany you outside?"

Teyla smiled and nodded. "That would be welcomed, but there's Ashina to – "

Teyla stopped when she heard Ronon growl, "I said, I'm fine!"

By the time she glanced over in his direction, Ronon was on his feet, though he did stagger a little. He leaned back against the remnants of a demolished computer console and took a deep breath as he squinted, but he looked ready to take on all comers.

Teyla followed the medical team and John's litter as they passed by Ronon, intending to stop and check on Rodney and Ashina. She put a hand on Ronon's forearm, but before she could say anything, Jennifer was in front of Ronon with her hands on her hips, matching Ronon's attitude with her own and said, "Ronon, you are most assuredly not fine! Even a blind man could tell that much."

Jennifer looked over at the poor medic who'd been trying to treat Ronon. "Are his vitals stable enough for him to walk the short distance to the jumper?"

Ronon glared at the man, as if to intimidate the answer he wanted. Jennifer put her hand on Ronon's arm to get him to back off. "Are they stable enough, considering this is Ronon?"

The man shrugged slightly with that caveat and said, "Probably. From what I could tell, he's got some obvious injuries, but his vital signs are strong."

"Strong as a horse," Jennifer muttered.

Teyla noticed Ronon relaxed a bit, as if he knew with that remark that Jennifer was going to let him go, but Jennifer turned back to Ronon, her expression as stern as Teyla had ever seen it. "That is the last time you will growl at one of my people like you just did, is that understood?"

Ronon shrugged with no hint of remorse.

Jennifer patted the medic on the shoulder. "You're new and I haven't had a chance to brief you on Ronon, though I'm sure you were warned about him from the others. We'll take care of that after things slow down again."

She turned to Ronon. "You can walk to the jumper, if you must, but you are going to let this medic and Major Lorne here escort you there, okay? And you are going to behave yourself. Otherwise, you'll have to deal with me. Is that understood?"

"I'm going with Sheppard," Ronon said gruffly, his gaze still a little unfocused.

Jennifer shook her head and turned to Teyla. "You work this out, Teyla. The colonel is on his way to the jumper and I've got to go."

Teyla squeezed Ronon's arm when he tried to pull away to leave.

"We all can go together," Ronon said, staring down into her eyes. At least now, his gaze a little steadier.

"What about Rodney?" Teyla asked, glancing to Rodney's unconscious body. "The medics are still working with him. Someone should stay to – "

"I'll stay," Radek said quickly. "I'll stay with him until they are ready to move him."

Mr. Woolsey nodded. "Do not worry, I will also stay with Dr. McKay. He won't be alone. You two better get going if you are going to keep up with Colonel Sheppard and his medical team."

Mr. Woolsey's tone was smooth and confident sounding, but after working with him for a while now, Teyla thought she could hear worry in his voice.

Teyla turned back to see the medical team with Ashina was now beside her, ready to move out, too, and that took all doubt out of her decision. She would accompany John, Ronon, Ashina and the others to the surface. Reaching down, she took Ashina's hand, thinking Ashina would finally be back with her parents as she had wanted so badly for so very long_. _

Lorne cleared his throat. "Okay, looks like everybody who's going is ready to go. Why don't you lead the way with the girl, Teyla? There's some pretty frantic parents waiting for her out there," Lorne said, quietly directing traffic, pointing to the order the teams would leave.

Lorne swirled a hand in the air in the classic military signal to get moving. "These people have a date with the infirmary."

Teyla looked ahead, and saw Jennifer and the team with John disappear into the widened ventilation shaft. She pressed forward, relying more and more on her cane. She was close to exhaustion and she knew once she stopped, she would not be moving for a long while.

Ronon's medic and Major Lorne stayed close to both her and Ronon, positioning themselves between the two of them, probably to catch either one of them if they collapsed. The group had just stepped out into the bright sunlight when she heard Methet exclaim, "Ashina! She's here, Jisef! She's finally here!"

It took a moment for Teyla's eyes to adjust to the intense sunlight and she smiled when she saw Methet kneel beside the litter so she could kiss Ashina's forehead. "Shini, can you hear me?"

The medic with Ashina said, "She's still unconscious, ma'am, but her vital signs are good. Once we get her back to the infirmary, we can find out exactly what's going on for her."

"She's so pale," Methet murmured. "Oh, by the Ancestors, Jisef, just look at her... "

"She's alive, Methet. She's alive. She could have been lost to us forever if not for these people." He glanced at Teyla and said, "Thank you, Teyla."

Jisef stepped behind Methet and tried to help her to her feet. Teyla saw Methet's reluctance to leave Ashina and she bent so her face was closer to Methet as she said, "Methet, the medic was correct when he said Ashina's vital signs were good. She is a strong child."

"Methet?" Jisef started.

Teyla touched Methet's sleeve when there was still little reaction from her. "Methet, you may go with us. You can stay with her all the way. Our medical facilities are very advanced. She will have the best of care."

Methet nodded as her hand remained clasped around Ashina's, unable to take her eyes off the child, then almost as an afterthought, she glanced up at Teyla. It was as if she noticed Teyla her for the first time. The weariness in Methet's eyes reminded Teyla Methet had also spent nearly three long days of emotional upheaval.

The young woman looked tired, but the emotion highlighting her features almost erased the fatigue. "Oh, Teyla," she said as she moved to take Teyla into her arms. "Thank you so much for all that you did for our little girl. She would not be alive today, if not for all the things you and your people did to save her."

Teyla hugged her back and was surprised by the wave of intense feelings that swept over her. She swallowed back tears and nodded her reply, because she was afraid her voice would fail her at that moment. Days of worry and struggle were rapidly catching up to her.

As soon as Methet released Teyla, Methet's hand went back down to grasp Ashina's.

"She's going to be all right," Methet said firmly, her other hand brushing Ashina's blonde locks from her face.

"Yes, she will," Teyla said with resolve, then she put a hand forward to usher them along. "Come. They must go, but you can be with her every step of the way."

"Thank you," Jisef said quickly and he gave her a quick hug before they took off with the medical team accompanying Ashina toward a waiting jumper.

Teyla took a deep breath as she looked around. The sun was shining, the hillside was greener and the air was fresh. The weather was so much nicer than the rain they'd dealt with when they first arrived through the stargate days ago.

She glanced ahead and noticed the team with John had stopped while she'd been involved with Ashina's parents. John's litter was now on the ground and Jennifer was examining John. Ronon and his medic were standing near them. Major Lorne was still at her side. Ronon turned back as Teyla and Major Lorne approached them. All it took was one glance from Ronon for Teyla to know something had gone very wrong.

Jennifer was quickly issuing orders as Teyla stopped beside Ronon, but before Teyla could ask what was happening, Ronon said, "It's something to do with his lungs and that broken rib. A pneumo – pneumo – something," he said, then stop as he struggled to find the proper term.

Major Lorne filled in the blank. "A pneumothorax."

Seeing Teyla's confusion, Major Lorne cleared his throat and said, "It's a hole in the tissue surrounding the lung that allows air to build up outside the lung. It can collapse the lung if it gets bad enough. Had one myself a few years ago when I was injured on a training exercise, but it was nothing compared to this."

Teyla watched Jennifer request a scalpel while a medic sterilized an area on John's chest with an antiseptic swab, then Jennifer carefully cut an incision into John's chest. John didn't even react to the painful procedure, which scared Teyla more, then Jennifer inserted a tube into the incision in John's chest.

After a few long moments, Jennifer finally relaxed a little. "Okay, that seemed to relieve some of the pressure. I'm getting positive airflow. Let's get him moving. I don't want him crashing on the way. I've got to get him into surgery ASAP."

The medical team mobilized and was on the move in the next few moments. No one said a word as the group headed toward the jumpers. Teyla took in the surrounding area again as she hurried along behind them. Somehow, the day wasn't nearly as inviting as it had just minutes before.

**oOoOoOoOo**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen**

Rodney was dreaming, his expression tense, his skin sweaty, his lips moving ever so slightly. Teyla leaned forward from her chair beside Rodney's bed when he stiffened and put out a hand. He raised his voice, murmuring rapidly, "Oh God, I'm not almost dying, am I? Because dying right now would really screw with my plans, especially after I thought I had already survived this hellish ordeal."

Teyla patted him on the arm, helping to lower his hand to the bed, and shook her head. "No, Rodney, you are not dying. You are recovering from your injuries in the infirmary at Atlantis."

She glanced over at the bed Ronon was in when he stirred a little with Rodney's raised voice, but then Ronon settled deeper into sleep again. Teyla was dressed in hospital scrubs, sitting in a chair between Rodney and John's bed, watching over them because she was unable to sleep.

"It was really an amazing feat of engineering," Rodney said quietly, apparently not hearing her, but speaking to someone else in his dream. "It still scares me to think how close that damned suit had come to body-jacking me instead of Sheppard."

Teyla glanced over at John. It had been a day since they were back from their ordeal and John was still unconscious. Oblivious to Teyla and everyone else in the room, Rodney continued, "But then again, if the suit had gotten me instead of John, everybody would have died right off the bat, because we all know I don't have John's kind of stubbornness or stamina."

"Few do," she said softly.

"Ain't that the truth," Rodney murmured.

Teyla was surprised that Rodney had finally responded to her – she thought he might still have been caught up in his dream state. Just to be sure, she sat up a little straighter and said, "But I would not be so sure of your assessment, Rodney. You have a brand of stubbornness all your own."

Rodney frowned and opened his eyes. "I was just talking out loud, wasn't I?"

Teyla smiled gently at him. "Yes, briefly, but do not worry, I will keep the details of your comments between the two of us."

"Damn," Rodney muttered as he rubbed his eyes with one hand. "I hate the weird dreams that come with heavy narcotics. That's what's going on with me, right? I sense the _good_ drugs coursing through my veins."

Teyla chuckled. "Yes, Jennifer has been treating you with the stronger version of her arsenal of medications."

"Thought so." Rodney shuddered and he whispered, "Crap, I thought that damned suit was going to be the death of all of us."

Teyla squeezed Rodney's arm. "The suit is destroyed, Rodney. It is all in the past now. You have nothing to fear."

"It was destroyed?" he said tentatively, his gaze going distant as if caught in elusive remembrance. His voice was firmer when he said, "Say it again. Say the suit was destroyed, because I need to hear it. Repeatedly. All I remember was that everything blew up in a big way."

Teyla nodded. "The magnetic field generator performed as hoped and destroyed the suit. And, yes, there was a large explosion – a few of them, in fact. It is a miracle we all survived with as few injuries as we did."

Rodney closed his eyes, then opened them, searching out Teyla, his expression hesitant and full of doubt. "Even John?"

Teyla smiled. "Yes, even John."

He didn't seem to accept her words. "You aren't just saying that to keep me from freaking out on you, right? He's alive? Because I'll tell you this right now, I will haunt your days if you are just saying that to keep me – "

Rodney stopped himself and shook his head. "Wait, sorry, I forgot who I was talking to. You wouldn't lie to me. What was I thinking? Oh, yeah, narcotics."

She leaned closer to him, seeking to finally reassure him. "John is alive."

Rodney sighed and slumped against his pillow. "Oh, thank God. I thought we all were goners."

"We survived." She pointed to the bed beside her. "You can see for yourself. John is sleeping right here beside you."

Rodney glanced over at John, noticing his presence for the first time. He rubbed a hand over his face in obvious relief, then he glanced over to his other side and saw Ronon and Ashina asleep in their beds. "We were so damned lucky."

He let out a slow sigh of relief, then grimaced and put one hand to his head and the other to his knee. "Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. The knee hurts, but my head is pounding harder than those freaking drums on MXX-924 the night they slipped us the mictrina nectar."

"You have a concussion. And you did fracture your kneecap. But Jennifer says you will make a full recovery."

Rodney noticed the elaborate brace on his leg for the first time. "Oh, great, just great. How the hell am I supposed to get around in this getup?"

He rubbed his leg, then looked around him again. "What's wrong with the others?"

Teyla pointed to Ronon. "He had injuries to his shoulder and elbow, which we already knew about, along with new contusions and abrasions to his back from the blast."

"His back?"

"Yes. It seems he protected you from the flying debris with his body."

Rodney frowned. "I have this distant memory of him being on top of me and I couldn't move. It was quite frightening."

"Yes, as I said, he protected you by covering your body with his own in the explosions."

Rodney shook his head, anxiety flashing in his eyes. "Yes, well, it's not a good thing to do with a person who experiences claustrophobia far too often, but I guess I should be grateful."

Teyla raised an eyebrow. "_Yes, you should_."

Rodney didn't seem to notice her measured tone, because he kept on speaking as if she hadn't said a word, "Even though he nearly smothered me. Seriously, he's gotta be heavier than any Sasquatch ever imagined."

"Rodney."

"I'm just saying... " He took one look at Teyla's expression and changed subjects, pointing at Ashina across the room. Her father, Jisef, was softly snoring in a chair beside Ashina's bed. Methet was also asleep, but she was on the bed, holding Ashina in her arms.

Rodney's voice was quieter as he said, "Fine. Whatever. What's going on with her?"

"Ashina had surgery last night to correct problems caused by the laser wound. Jennifer says she, too, will make a full recovery. She is merely sleeping."

"Thank goodness," Rodney said with heartfelt sincerity, then he straightened a little and added, "You know, she kind of grows on a person."

"Yes, I agree."

Rodney looked over at John, his gaze heavy with guilt, but he didn't actually ask the question so obvious on his lips. Teyla answered it for him. "John is doing as well as can be expected, given his injuries. He came through the surgery to correct the pneumothorax without incident."

"Pneumothorax? How did – when did – okay, I know how, it was because of that damned suit and his broken rib, but – ah, geez, that really sucks... "

Teyla nodded. "He should be fine, though, he is covered from head to toe with abrasions, bruises and contusions right now. The suit put him through quite an ordeal."

Rodney squinted, as if trying to remember something, and then swallowed hard. "What about when I activated the magnetic field generator? What did that do to him?"

Teyla touched his arm again. "Jennifer does not believe it added a great deal to his injuries."

Rodney closed his eyes for a minute. "What a nightmare," he whispered.

Teyla nodded, quickly glancing to check on the others. It was a habit she still hadn't broken herself of, even though they'd been safely back on Atlantis for over a day, then she noticed Rodney had opened his eyes and was eyeing her closely.

"What about you? How come you're up? It's obviously the middle of the night."

She sighed. "My leg was bothering me. You were dreaming and John – John has barely moved. I thought I would sit with both of you for a while."

Rodney pointed a finger at her. "Good thing Jennifer didn't come in here or else you'd be so busted."

She smiled again, mischievously this time. "Yes, that is true. It is another secret we shall keep between the two of us."

Rodney grunted, then put the palms of both of his hands to press against his eyes. "We came so close to dying in that hellhole and if we did, it would have been because of me."

"Rodney, you saved our lives. The feats you accomplished were truly amazing, so try not to be so hard on yourself."

Rodney pulled his hands away and muttered, "Sheppard nearly died. We all did."

Teyla pointed a finger at Rodney to get his attention. "John did not die. No one did." She paused, studying him closer. "Is there something more going on for you here?"

Rodney sighed and closed his eyes.

"Rodney," she implored.

Rodney shrugged. "Well, okay, maybe – maybe after everything we've been through, after everything I put _John_ through – "

He stopped, words seeming to elude him. Teyla merely rubbed her fingers against his arm. "Rodney, you are so wise in so many ways, but at times you have a hard time understanding the simple things. You do not need to torture yourself with memories of what happened or might have happened – let go of what went wrong and hold onto what went right. We survived. That is all that matters. Anything else is unimportant."

"But – but you don't get it."

"Get what?"

Rodney closed his eyes and sighed. "The whole kill switch thing, the magnetic field generator – all that pain I caused John, the agony he went through because of _me_ – "

Teyla put up her hands. "Rodney, you may have pressed the button, but everything bad that happened was because of the suit and the AI, not you, is that understood? It was _not_ because of you."

Rodney shook his head. "You're letting me off the hook way too easily."

Teyla put her hand on Rodney's shoulder. "No one is _letting you off the hook_. John would be the first person to say that. What I said was merely the truth."

Rodney looked up at her, guilt still heavy in his expression. She leaned back in her chair. "Perhaps, you need to hear those words coming from John's lips, instead of my own."

Rodney sighed and shook his head. "No, no, it's not that."

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I guess, I guess it's – it's going to take some time for me to work through all of this." He paused, pressing his lips together in frustration. "That damned suit was all I could think about for days on end – no, it was all I could allow myself to think about for days on end. Maybe I'm just having a tough time letting go of it all."

"Understandable," Teyla said simply. "But do not let it haunt you for too long."

She sat back in her seat. "Or else you will have to deal with the likes of Ronon, John, and myself."

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Now, there's a novel approach to therapy – the_ 'get over it by intimidation' _method."

Then, Rodney grunted at his own words. With that, it looked like something that had been tight and twisted inside Rodney finally began to relax, something that had been like that for endless days, but was only now unwinding, and it did Teyla's heart good to see it. But by the time it appeared Rodney was actually letting himself soak in some of those good emotions and fully appreciate them, there was a sudden uncomfortableness in his body. Perhaps, he had thought she'd glimpsed too much of his inner demons.

Ronon, John and Rodney were her best friends and she would die for any one of them, but all three of the men had such difficulty in talking about matters that really mattered to them. They never seemed able to say the right words – or at least never seemed to able to voice the words they would say in a perfect world, and that made her a little sad, but at least she'd felt she had shared a meaningful conversation with Rodney and perhaps helped ease his guilt somewhat.

Rodney chewed on his lip for a moment, then glanced at her, apparently shifting his focus again. He put a hand over his stomach. "I don't suppose it would be possible to get something to eat around here? I mean, I went for days on end with only power bars for sustenance. And trust me, power bars were never designed with that in mind. I may never be able to look at another one without developing intense stomach cramps or stimulating my gag reflex."

Teyla smiled and started to get up. "I will get one of the nurses. I am sure there is something they can bring for you."

"No, I can ring for the nurse, but you better get back into bed before I do or else, as I mentioned before, you'll be so busted."

Her smile broadened as she stood and she murmured, "Thank you for thinking of me before your stomach."

"Yeah, well, if you don't move faster, I may reconsider."

She straightened and steadied herself with her cane. "Rodney."

"I'm just saying I'm starving and you're literally_ standing_ in the way of me and food. Come on, move it along. I can't wait all night."

Teyla shook her head and limped to her bed. Once there, she lifted her cane and said sternly, "Press the button for the nurse before I remind you that what I hold in my hand is quite similar to a bantos rod."

Understanding dawned in Rodney's blue eyes and he swallowed hard, his demeanor suddenly shifting from arrogant and demanding to meek. "Oh, yeah, your cane. And you do know how to hurt a person with sticks. You know what? Forget I said anything."

She gingerly sat on her bed. "Rodney, just press the button."

Rodney smiled and did as she ordered, then looked around impatiently for the nurse... if as expecting her to instantly appear. Teyla settled into her bed. It was going to be a long night if he was going to stay in that irritating frame of mind. Regardless, Teyla found herself smiling. It was good to be back home with her friends safe and sound. Her own tension was slowly ebbing away. Once John was up and behaving like himself, all would be right with her world again.

oOoOoOoOo

John awoke to Zelenka and McKay's voices. They were having a tightly whispered argument a short distance away from John's bed. It had been three days since they had been freed and John still felt like he'd gone the distance riding a mutant-sized bucking bull. There wasn't a part of him that didn't ache.

And Radek and Rodney were still arguing – over something to do with the suit.

"No, I don't think so," Rodney said firmly with his hands tightly gripping the handles of his crutches as he stood with his face close to Radek's.

"You don't know," Radek replied, his voice exuding stubbornness.

"I do, too," Rodney said, his chin high in the air. "I was there. You weren't. Really, Radek, sometimes your naivete is astounding."

"It could just have been a compatibility issue."

"No, I don't think so. The mere fact that we never once saw the suit even try to interface with the facility's computer systems says it all."

John opened his eyes. He swore those two could argue about anything and make it seem like monumental, and they still hadn't noticed he was awake yet. Rodney was wearing hospital scrubs, which meant he was still in the infirmary, but he had a set of real crutches now, so that meant he was allowed to be mobile.

Radek looked like usual, his hair ruffled and his glasses were hanging precariously at the end of his nose, which was only a few inches from Rodney's nose. Anyone not from Atlantis might have thought they were about to come to blows, but it was just one of their typical and frequent disagreements.

"Rodney, perhaps you two should take your discussion out of the room," Teyla said softly, "John is sleeping – "

She paused when she glanced over and saw John was already awake. "Apparently, not any longer." She flashed the two scientists a stern glare, then smiled at John. "Hello, John, how are you feeling?"

Rodney smiled and took a step towards John's bed. "It's about time you came to life."

"It was a little hard to stay dead with you two around." John shrugged a little, then regretted it when it set off sparks of pain.

The others moved closer in response to his grimace, making John say through gritted teeth, "I'm fine."

Finally, he let out a slow breath as he relaxed. "I'm just tired. Probably from sleeping too damned much. I'm gonna tell Keller to ease off on the pain meds. I'm tired of being tired."

Teyla's eyebrows went up in sympathy. "I know, but Jennifer says you are coming along much faster than she'd first thought you would."

John frowned. _This was much faster? Damn. _

He really preferred not to spend time in the infirmary whenever he could avoid it, but the thought of being there longer than he already had left a bad taste in his mouth. He studied Teyla. She didn't look nearly as tired or in quite as much pain as she had when they were stuck together in the facility.

The knot on her forehead was almost gone, but the spectacular blossom of color painting her forehead indicated it would still take some time before the bruising would be completely gone as well. At least, she was smiling. There was something about Teyla's smile that was just contagious.

"How are you doing?" John asked Teyla, already knowing what she'd say in reply.

"I am well. My leg injury is progressing nicely. I hope to be able to move around without my cane soon."

John heard some rustling behind Teyla, then saw Ronon leaning forward from his chair as he dropped his long legs off the next bed over, his arm in a cast and sling. The big guy was still moving around a little too carefully to suit John.

"Hey," John said softly, gesturing with his chin toward Ronon.

"Hey," Ronon said back to him. "I thought you were going to sleep all day like you've done the last three days."

"Sorry," John said and he meant it, knowing full well that his friends had been there camped out at his side while he'd been in and out of consciousness. "At least, the three of you are up and about – "

John paused, his gaze darting around the room.

"Ashina?" he asked, hearing the sudden breathlessness in his voice.

Teyla put a hand on his arm. "Did you forget? She is convalescing as you are. She, too, required some surgery, but she is here on Atlantis in one of our guest suites with her parents as she recovers."

John sighed with relief, then said, "Sorry, still feeling pretty fuzzy. Again, Keller needs to back off on my pain meds."

Teyla tactfully bypassed John's statement and smiled softly as she continued, "You should know Ashina has committed her father to making dolls for each of us to aid in our recovery and I hear they are almost completed. With Rodney's help, she has a list of names for them."

Teyla glanced over at Rodney and her smile grew. "In addition to her doll, Soho, ours will be named Dojo, Mojo, Hoho, and Dodo."

John raised an eyebrow in Rodney's direction. Rodney shrugged. "She was here and I was afraid she'd wake you up, so I just placated her for a few minutes with a discussion of names for the dolls. I tried for names with a little more dignity, but she said she remembered the names I'd said when we were underground and liked them – that they would make a good memory for us."

He waved his fingers in the air. "She's really an intelligent child, despite the whole doll thing. Hell, the next thing you know she'll have us carrying those dolls on our missions. I know you're going to ask, so mine is named Hoho. I tried to talk her out of it, but she thought it suited me. And just keep your snide comments to yourself. Yours is Dodo, by the way. Very appropriate. And that's all I'm gonna say about that. Teyla's is Dojo and Ronon's is Mojo."

John smiled at Rodney's gruffness, knowing how much he really cared about the girl.

Rodney raised his hands in response. "What?"

"Nothing," John said.

"Well, it's true. I had to draw the line, though, when she brought her mother in to sing to us to make us better. I told her I felt just fine, thank you very much. I've got more important things to do, you know, than deal with pint-sized candy-stripers and their maternal healing vocalists."

Teyla's eyes sparkled with amusement before she continued, "Already, Ashina is much stronger. She is such a happy child. She should recover fully."

John let out a long breath and nodded. "That's good... that's very good to hear."

There was a pause in the conversation, then Zelenka said, "I apologize for my part in awakening you, Colonel. I suppose I will continue my discussion with Rodney later and leave you to visit since you are all here. I really didn't mean to upset Rodney enough to disturb you, Colonel. I only thought if we could have discovered – "

Rodney cut him off in an exasperated tone, as if this was the last time he wanted the subject brought up. "I understand the desire to learn as much as we can from Damisk's research, Radek, but there is no research remaining. Don't you get it? The magnetic pulse took care of that. Every piece of equipment, including the computers in that place were fried beyond the point of salvaging."

Radek nodded. "Yes, Rodney, I am very well aware of that, but I was thinking if we could take a closer look at the equipment itself – "

Rodney shook his head and folded his arms in front of his chest. "It's not possible, it's just not possible. I had Lorne take every component of that damned suit and jettison it into space via jumper. It was far too dangerous to experiment with – and quite frankly, it scared the hell out of me."

Radek nodded finally and shrugged. "You were probably right to do that in this instance. Though, it would have been interesting to know for sure why the suit wouldn't access the facility's computers – "

John cleared his throat and held up a hand as he said, "I can answer that one. At least, I can tell you the suit wouldn't allow itself to connect to any of the facility's computers. It was because it thought there might be a trap lying in wait to inactivate its program."

McKay nodded rapidly. "I think that's what Damisk thought, too, that the suit was too afraid Damisk had put some failsafe device in place. Damisk, in fact, did have a program in place, but the suit wouldn't even attempt to interface with the main computer system. That's also why Damisk had the majority of data about the suit on his personal recorder instead of the main computer."

Rodney turned back to Radek. "Frankly, I am relieved to know that all the data from Damisk's computers are gone forever. Some of the things he was working on were pretty alarming. No, that magnetic pulse fried everything and I do mean everything. My tablet computer and scanner are toast. We're just lucky it didn't fry us, too!"

"We were lucky," John said softly, then he straightened and added with pride, "But if I ever had to be stranded inside a quasi-Ancient facility, and trapped inside a super suit with a homicidal artificial intelligence in control, I'd choose you guys to be there to save my butt every time."

He was joking, but McKay grumbled something under his breath about almost screwing everything up. John pointed a finger in Rodney's direction. "McKay, we would have been toast, along with all the electronics and computers, if it hadn't been for what you did for us, so just let go of it."

Suddenly, Rodney stiffened as if reacting to what John had just said, though for the life of him John couldn't figure out what specifically had caused such a reaction. Rodney became a little self-conscious and nodded a couple of times. "Right. Right. Speaking of what happened, I just want to say – I mean, it's just that – "

Rodney looked guilty as hell and it almost hurt John to see Rodney in such distress, but Rodney continued on, "So, well, Teyla has been expounding on the virtues of letting go of the negative, but you know how well I do at that... "

John just said, "Yeah, I know all too much about that."

"Just shut up for once and let me – " Rodney said, then paused, taking in a deep breath, trying to rein in his obvious emotions.

John paused, eyeing Rodney closely. "McKay, you're acting stranger than normal. What's going on?"

John silently cursed under his breath with Rodney's reaction. John's words hadn't come out the way he'd mean for them too. His thoughts were sluggish, too. The damned pain meds weren't helping things at all. He could see Rodney was struggling to say something and he'd just made it more difficult.

Rodney shot an exasperated glance at Teyla and something passed between the two of them. Teyla nodded slightly, making Rodney close his eyes, as if counting to ten. When he opened them, he glared at John. "You know, Mr. Sensitivity, there might have been something I wanted to say to you."

"I'm sorry. I'm still pretty fuzzy and I can't seem to keep my mouth shut when it should be, so, well, go ahead and say it then."

Rodney shot daggers in John's direction. "Yes, well, okay... " He took a deep breath and tapped the fingers of one hand on his leg. "Well, uh, okay, okay – " His gaze darted around the group of people briefly. He sighed. "Hmm, the moment seems to have passed, and it's all your fault."

John shook his head. "My fault? How did you come up with that?"

Ronon grunted. "It's just McKay being McKay. You should be used to it by now."

John smacked his lips together. "Don't think that will ever happen. Come on, Rodney, say what you wanted to say."

Rodney glared at John again for a long moment, then his expression softened and he said, "Maybe later."

He then glanced at Teyla and Ronon, and seemed to change channels. He pointed at them and said, "Okay, Colonel Smart Mouth, you're always expounding on how I don't know how to be civil with people. Well, you want me to be civil? Okay, I'll give you civil. I want to congratulate Teyla and Ronon on improving their computer skills. It would have been difficult, if not impossible, to uncover as much information as I did without their assistance."

"Why, thank you, Rodney," Teyla said.

Ronon shrugged. "It was a hell of a lot more fun destroying that computer console with my blaster at the end than any of the other stuff you made me do on the computer."

Rodney sighed. "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."

Radek shook his head. "What would a horse drinking water have anything to do with this conversation? I thought you were talking about computer skills? By the way, you have never once complimented me on my computer accomplishments, Rodney. Why is that?" He said it tongue-in-cheek, but John wondered how much of it was a sincere question.

Rodney looked at Radek, as if he were about to strangle him. "I've been to hell and back – and you want a pat on the back? Really, Radek."

"So much for civil," Ronon muttered.

Rodney sputtered for a moment, then pointed at Ronon. "And you – you weren't almost squished like a bug by this big behemoth like I was. It's a wonder I'm still alive."

Ronon shook his head. "I was saving your life."

"Like when you dropped me? I'm sorry, but that story is getting old. Next time, don't save me. I think I'll have less injuries that way, thank you very much – and just for your information, you were squishing the life out of me, King Kong. You know, I think a little concern for me and my condition is something desperately warranted here."

Before anyone could say anything, Jennifer came into the room with her medical scanner in hand.

"Hello, everyone," she said, pausing as she glanced at her watch. "Okay, Rodney, I'd say you've been up long enough. Time for some rest. I want to check your blood pressure again in a few minutes to see if it's finally staying back down in the normal range."

Rodney gestured with a hand toward Jennifer. "Just my point. Thank you, Jennifer, for your concern."

John grunted. "You might want to wait more than a few minutes, Doc. He's been arguing with Radek and you know what that always does to his blood pressure."

Jennifer rolled her eyes. "Very true. You two need some serious couples counseling."

"Forget what I just said," Rodney muttered.

Both Radek and Rodney still appeared to be offended by Jennifer's comment, but Jennifer just ignored them. She looked at John instead, as if he had suddenly become her prized lab rat.

She came closer to the bed with her medical scanner in hand. "In the meanwhile, I can share the results of the latest scan we did on your spinal cord. There's no sign remaining at all that would indicate it had ever been attached to a neural interface."

John smiled broadly. "That's great news."

Jennifer looked at her scanner again. "Yes, there's no permanent damage that I can find and your injuries are healing up nicely."

She set down her medical scanner on the bedside tray and took her stethoscope around the back of her neck, then the round end put it up to John's chest. It was ice cold, as usual. That alone was enough to awake him fully. "Oops, sorry, about that, Colonel. Let's have a listen to your lungs."

After a few moments, she said, "The pneumothorax seems to be completely resolved. All in all, you are doing quite well, Colonel."

As she stepped back, she reached for her scanner again and said, "Hmm, I guess that suit wasn't so invincible after all."

"What?" John said, glancing up at her.

Jennifer shrugged. "The suit. I just said it wasn't so invincible after all. That was its codename, right?"

Everyone became strangely subdued, as if memories from the facility were revisiting each one of them. "It wasn't so invincible in the end," she said as she draped her stethoscope back around her neck.

Then, Teyla nodded and said, "I agree, Jennifer. I believe Damisk chose an inappropriate name for the suit. It was not as invincible as he had planned. When I think of _invincible, _I think of what I witnessed while trapped in the facility – namely, John's indomitable will, Rodney's unwavering resolve, and Ronon's steadfast determination. Even little Ashina with all of her vulnerability had a strength the AI could have never dominated."

The others looked at her as she paused, then said, "Intelligence may be something that can be reproduced in the way of an artificial intelligence, but there can be no replacement for the human spirit and its ability to overcome all odds. Without that in place, everything else fails."

"Amen to that," John said softly.

Jennifer nodded thoughtfully, then began to gesture as if ushering everyone out of the room. "Well said. Okay, I need to have my patients resting. Teyla, Ronon, that includes the two of you. Back to your quarters. Both of you have be here far too long. Come on, time to clear out all guests."

Radek nodded and left with Ronon trailing behind him.

"Sweet dreams to both of you," Teyla said as she patted John on the leg, then she left the room.

Jennifer looked at Rodney. "I want to order another scan for your knee, Rodney, along with some other tests for John. I will be back in a couple of minutes and we'll get your blood pressure while we're at it," she said, then left the room.

John settled back into his pillow, ready for another nap, no matter how badly he wanted to avoid sleep again. He heard Rodney muttering. When he glanced over, he saw Rodney was still sitting on the edge of the bed, instead of climbing on top of it.

Rodney grunted as he reached over and fluffed his pillow with dramatic fervor.

John looked at him. "What?"

"Teyla said sweet dreams. Yeah, right. I'll have nightmares for weeks after what we've been through. I doubt I'll ever sleep again. Permanent insomnia is what I'll have."

John shook his head. "Come on, Rodney, relax a little. You did good on this mission. The fact the rest of us are here with you now verifies that. Don't be so hard on yourself. Pretend you're on vacation."

"Pfft, vacation. You're a funny guy." Rodney got back into bed with a great deal of effort and cursing. He was out of breath when he finally said, "Though, a little R&R wouldn't be such a bad thing."

"Yeah," John agreed. "There you go. Now, take it easy."

Rodney glanced over at him before he looked down and began fiddling with the fibers of his blanket, as if they'd suddenly become very interesting. "I just want to say I'm sorry for everything I put you through."

"You don't have to apologize, Rodney. I'm a big boy. Bad things happen. And it wasn't your fault. None of it."

Rodney muttered something under his breath in disagreement, but he let the discussion drop. At least, for the moment. When John looked at him more closely, he thought Rodney did seem a little more at ease and that helped John in turn to relax a little more.

Rodney cuddled up to his pillow as he got more comfortable, looking like he was about to drop off to sleep. John shook his head. Rodney could fall asleep faster than anyone he knew. So much for worrying about nightmares or permanent insomnia.

"I'd still like some Shiska stew," Rodney murmured, sounding like he already had one foot in dreamland.

"I know, buddy," John said softly.

A moment later, Rodney was snoring. John smiled as he began to make plans on how to Ronon could smuggle some Shiska stew into Atlantis – after all, Rodney had saved all of their lives. He was due some Shiska stew for that and more. Then again, so were all of them.

John closed his eyes and felt himself drifting off to sleep, too.

**oOoOoOoOo**

**The End**

**And that's the end to a story I started almost three years ago! There's a lot to be said for patience and perseverance. And it might not have been finished in this much better, revised version, if it hadn't been for the kind words of encouragement from you guys to keep me working on it. After all, sga fans deserve the best! Thanks again for all of **_**your **_**patience! Until next time!**


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